Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City this summer when his contract expires. Assistant manager Pep Lijnders urged supporters to cherish the “last six weeks” of a fantastic nine-year spell at the Etihad. Bernardo revealed in October that he already knew what was in store for him this season, but that the time was not yet right to reveal it.
No official announcement has yet been received from either the player or the club, but Lijnders gave a clear answer to a question about Silva’s irreplaceable talent after the 4-0 win over Liverpool. “You can never replace him with the same kind of player, because such a player does not exist. Bernardo Silva is unique,” said the City assistant. “The way he controls the game, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees solutions, all of that.
“We never look to replace a specific type of player. We look for players who need what they need to grow with the team and are suitable for the first eleven. And with our academy and with the young players we have already signed, we hope they can take that step forward in midfield positions as well.”
“If you look at the young players that are in the academy, they have to step up and develop. But the most important thing is that the seniors stay for a long time, they stay, they stay and they stay. They are always there and you can move around them.”
“But it’s going to be difficult because, like I said, you’ll see in the games how much he’s going to be missed when he’s not playing and that’s one game. Imagine a season. But every good story comes to an end. And I hope he enjoys the last few months – there’s only six weeks left – and has a good farewell. He deserves that much attention too.”
Barring a dramatic change of heart, Bernardo will leave City as one of their best-known and greatest players. The Portuguese international won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups during his nine glorious years at the Etihad. He could go on to win more league titles and achieve a third success in the FA Cup.
As well as being Josep Guardiola’s most used player during his managerial career, with 450 appearances for City, making him eighth in the club’s all-time record, Silva has led by example as the club’s captain this season, helping the club bounce back from their slump in standards last season. The 31-year-old won the Carabao Cup at Wembley last month.
He has long talked about returning to his boyhood club Benfica at some stage in his career, with Barcelona and Juventus also keen to sign him on a free transfer this summer. Wherever his journey takes him, he will forever be cherished at City.
