As a free agent, Silva is attracting interest from several top European clubs, including his former team Benfica, who have made an offer to bring him back to Lisbon following the departure of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid are also vying for his signature, but reports suggest that Barcelona are his preferred destination.

Barcelona signed Silva's former teammate Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer in 2023, and are now looking to secure a similar deal for Silva on a two-year contract. A move to the Camp Nou would involve a significant reduction in salary for Silva, as Barcelona's offer of £80,000 per week is lower than Atletico's proposal.

However, Silva's ambition to play for Barcelona may be a deciding factor in his decision. The club has already completed one piece of transfer business this summer, signing Anthony Gordon for €80 million (£69m), but have yet to make a formal offer to retain Marcus Rashford, who scored 14 goals on loan with the team last season.