Bernardo Silva recently had an interview with Portuguese outlet Record (h/t Sport Witness) where he addressed rumours about his Manchester City future. Barcelona have already tried and failed to sign the 28-year-old, but a number of journalists insist they will return for Silva in January.
The Portuguese international has all but ruled out a mid-season move in 17 words, however, saying: “At the end of the season, we’ll talk again to see what’s best for the two sides.” If he’s not thinking about leaving City any sooner than next summer, that rules out a move in January.
It would be a major surprise for Pep Guardiola to let a key player leave mid-season, especially considering how little business City tend to do in the winter. And while Ferran Torres was sold to Barcelona in January 2022, it’s worth noting he was the only player sold for a fee in the middle of the season since Brahim Diaz in 2019.
City do their transfer work over the summer and use the January transfer window to work on deals months in advance. Selling Silva wouldn’t be considered unless they had his replacement already lined up and it makes little sense to hamper their title hopes by letting him go with two-and-a-half years remaining on his deal.
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