Bernardo Silva’s Final Chapter at Manchester City
Bernardo Silva is set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, according to assistant manager Pep Lijnders. He has described the midfielder as a player who deserves a fitting farewell, highlighting that his time at the club is coming to an end.
Silva has been linked with a move for some time now, especially as his contract expires in the summer. However, it was only recently that Lijnders confirmed the news, stating that “every good story comes to an end.” The Portugal international is currently in the final weeks of his tenure at the Etihad Stadium, with just six weeks remaining before he departs.
Lijnders emphasized that replacing Silva will be extremely difficult, as he is a unique player whose contributions have been invaluable to the team. He said: “He deserves all that attention as well.”
Silva has recently attracted interest from Juventus and was previously a target for Barcelona. There had been speculation that he wanted to move to a warmer climate than Manchester. The 31-year-old joined City from Monaco in 2017 and is one of the most decorated players in the club’s history. He has won one treble and 19 trophies, including the Champions League in 2023 and six Premier Leagues.
This season, Silva has been appointed as the team captain and recently lifted his first trophy as skipper when City won the Carabao Cup last month. He has made more appearances under Pep Guardiola than any other player, with his 450th game for the club coming in the 4-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday. In the 2018-19 season, he was named City’s player of the season.
Lijnders admitted that finding a replacement for Silva would be challenging. He explained: “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique. The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions. All these things.”
He added: “You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first 11. And then you hope, with our academy, with the young players we already bought, that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions.”
Lijnders also highlighted the importance of the senior players staying with the club for long periods. He said: “But the most important is that the seniors who stay for a long time, that they stay, that they stay, that they stay. That they are always there and around that, you can move.”
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of replacing someone like Silva. “But it will be hard because, as I said, in the game, when he is not playing, you will see how he is missed, and that’s one game. Imagine a season.”
