Bernardo Silva doesn’t look like he is leaving the Etihad Stadium anytime soon. Pep Guardiola finds the midfielder way too good to let go.
The Portuguese number 10 has seen heavy linkings with Spanish giants Barcelona. Bernardo Silva spent 5 years at the Etihad Stadium and now Xavi has shown interest in the 27-year-old.
Bernardo Silva: Current status
Silva made it clear before the 2021-22 Premier League commenced that he was open to leaving the club. But Guardiola insisted on staying and the Portuguese went on to clinch his 4th English Championship title.
The attacking midfielder boasts a total of 78 goal contributions for Manchester City. Apart from 4 Premier League titles, the midfielder has won 4 League Cups, 1 FA Cup, and two Community Shields. It shouldn’t be surprising to see the player leave the club after only achieving so much.
Winning the league back-to-back means getting used to the competition. And getting used to the competition means leaving the club. But that doesn’t seem to be Silva’s case because Guardiola has crashed the party again.
Guardiola convinced Silva to stay for another season
The master-mind manager stated in a press conference in Barcelona ahead of the pre-season friendly that City has no intentions of parting ways with Bernardo Silva. The former Monaco player’s significance takes the center stage in Manchester City’sPremier League success over the past few years.
“I think Bernardo Silva will stay with us, that’s my feeling as of today,”
Guardiola told reporters at the Nou Camp during his Barcelona visit.
“Today I think he will continue with us but I have always said I don’t want players that don’t want to be with us. But Bernardo is important and I think he will stay,”
Interests from Barcelona
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has been a huge admirer of the Portuguese forward’s performance on the pitch lately. The Catalans had the attacking midfielder on their transfer list for a long time now. However, his form impressed City bosses to keep him for another season.
Despite all the financial issues at Camp Nou, the Spaniards don’t seem to give up on building a competitive team for next season. Silva’s worth in the transfer market is north of £90 million which should concern the Catalans but as of now, there’s no rush.
Joan Laporta & Pep Guardiola’s press conference
Ahead of Manchester City and Barcelona’s friendly match on August 24th, a press conference was held between both parties. The Spanish press threw questions at Laporta and Guardiola regarding Bernardo Silva’s transfer update.
Joan Laporta casually asked Guardiola if he would be open to sending Bernardo Silva to Camp Nou this summer. To which the Spaniard said Bernardo would come along with ten others. During that humorous conversation during the press conference, Guardiola and Laporta both mocked such desire.
Manchester City’s current status
According to The Mirror, City is making moves to bring in new players and make up for the ones who will not be available for the next season. Erling Haaland was a massive £60 million signing from Borussia Dortmund and has the fans eagerly waiting.
Word has it that Pep wants to land Marc Cucurella from Brighton or Kieran Tierney from Arsenal to fulfill the vacant wing-back position. Apart from this, Fernandinho has confirmed his exit due to which City has turned to Kalvin Phillips for a replacement.
Should Bernardo Silva stay at Manchester City?
Guardiola talked the Portuguese into staying for another season. This didn’t cause any harm but only positive results for both the club and the player. Silva made 20 goal contributions for City this season and clinched the EPL title.
The 27-year-old Portugal international’s future in the blue part of Manchester is still up in the air, but City’s manager has no interest in letting a creative force slip through his grasp.
However, Guardiola would not push players beyond the limit to do things against their will.
“As of today, I think Bernardo will continue at Man City next season – but as I always said, I don’t like to keep players that are unhappy,”
the former Bayern Munich manager told reporters.
“This is our intention, although I don’t like to keep players at Man City that are unhappy,”
he added.
Bernardo Silva’s contract with Manchester City ends in 2025. And as of now, there isn’t any pressure from anyone regarding his future.
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