Manchester City turned down the chance to sign new Chelsea star
According to the Daily Star, Manchester City passed up the opportunity to sign new Chelsea midfielder Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day, declining a swap deal involving Bernardo Silva.
Saul Niguez, 26, signed for Chelsea on a season-long loan just before the summer transfer window slammed shut, with the Blues having the option to buy him for £30million from Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
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However, the deal only came to fruition after Atletico Madrid failed to offload him to Manchester City as part of an exchange deal for Bernardo Silva.
The Daily Star reports the Sky Blues rejected the LaLiga champions’ proposal as they wanted £40million out-and-out for Silva, while Pep Guardiola had no interest in bringing Saul to the Etihad Stadium.
So, the deal never happened; instead, Chelsea were happy to snap up the Spanish international, who is in line to make his Premier League debut against Aston Villa after the international break.
Bernardo Silva, 27, wanted to end his time with Manchester City this summer and was told he was free to leave the club if they receive a suitable offer. He was offered as part of a cash-plus-player swoop for Tottenham star Harry Kane, but the Portuguese international had no intention of making the switch to the north London club.
Last month, The Times had claimed the 27-year-old playmaker was keen on moving to Spain to be closer to his family, with the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid showing interest in him. In fact, Silva has been craving for a move away from the Sky Blues for more than a year.
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The Cityzens broke the British transfer record in the summer by signing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in a £100m deal. Following Grealish’s arrival, game time could be limited for Silva, who still has four years left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Silva has started the new Premier League season well for City and will be hoping to continue in the same vein after the international break.