Al-Hilal 'willing to pay £59.8m for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva'

Al-Hilal have reportedly informed Manchester City that they are prepared to pay €70m (£59.8m) to sign playmaker Bernardo Silva.

The Portugal international has scored 55 goals and registered 59 assists in 306 appearances for the Citizens across all tournaments since joining from Monaco in 2017, and has also won 14 trophies including five Premier League titles.

Bernardo was a key cog in Pep Guardiola's machine that won a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble last season, chipping in with seven goals and eight assists in 55 matches.

Although Bernardo still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, the 28-year-old is believed to be keen to seek pastures new and has allegedly informed Man City of his desire to leave the club this summer.

A recent report claims that the Citizens are growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospect of keeping hold of their No.20, who is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, French champions Paris Saint-Germain and La Liga winners Barcelona.

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Both PSG and Barcelona have held an interest in Bernardo for some time, but they are yet to make a formal offer for the playmaker and have instead prioritised other targets so far this summer.

PSG could have the funds to recruit Bernardo if they agree to cash in on star forward Kylian Mbappe, amid interest from Real Madrid, but cash-strapped Barca may struggle to generate the funds needed to sign the Man City star.

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal have recently stepped up their pursuit of Bernardo, with a recent report claiming that they have offered him a £500,000-a-week contract, which is more than three times his current salary at the Etihad.

According to CBS Sports, Al-Hilal are readying a €220m (£187.9m) package to sign Bernardo, including a €70m (£59.8m) transfer fee plus €50m a year in wages over a three-year contract.

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The report adds that there is confidence from Al-Hilal's side that they can get the deal done having now formalised their interest at a time when both PSG and Barcelona are yet to make a concrete move for the player.

Bernardo is yet to make a final decision on his future and the option to extend his contract with Man City remains on the table.

Al-Hilal have already completed the signing of Bernardo's Portuguese compatriot Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £47m, while they have also signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea in a deal worth around £17m.

The Saudi Pro League outfit are also believed to be finalising a big-money deal for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after reaching an agreement to sign the Lazio midfielder for £34.3m.