Soriano says Silva has never been close to Barca move

Ferran Soriano has once again dismissed talk of Barcelona signing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Silva has long since been linked with a move to Camp Nou, but Pep Guardiola has made it clear he wants to keep the Portugal midfielder.

The 30-year-old playmaker scored one goal and set up another in the Premier League champions’ 3-3 draw at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Silva is set to face Barca in a friendly on Wednesday and City chief executive Soriano does not expect him to be playing for the Catalan giants this season.

He told Cadena Ser’s Que t’hi Jugues: “This story has taken many turns, but deep down it has never moved from the starting point.”

Soriano added just over a week before the transfer window closes: “It’s a bit late to talk about comings and goings.”

Silva made 50 appearances for City in all competitions last season, a tally only bettered by Joao Cancelo (52), with the 28-year-old scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

Only Kevin de Bruyne (129) and Jack Grealish (78) created more chances for City than Silva’s 76 last term.