After Joao Cancelo’s swift departure from the club, many City fans were braced for Bernardo Silva to try and also engineer a move away from the Etihad. According to reports today, City rejected a loan proposal from Barcelona for the Portuguese international who has been at the club since 2017.
David Novo/@DavidNovo1 via @Record_Portugal has reported that any deal being completed on deadline day is ‘completely out of the question’ and not even Bernardo Silva is considering leaving the club in the middle of the season.
Ben Ransom/@BenRansomSky also reinforced the fact that Bernardo would be staying put at City until at least the summer when it’s highly likely the midfielder will depart the club. With Silva and fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan likely to depart the club this summer, it is imperative City sign adequate replacements this summer. Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Leicester City’s James Maddison have been mentioned in recent days.
Bernardo has appeared 281 times for the Blues since his move from AS Monaco, scoring 50 times and providing a further 56 assists. Silva has won four Premier League titles, four League Cups, one FA Cup and two Community Shields in his time at the club so far. Bernardo has also appeared in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions, in the 2018/19 season and the 2021/22 season as City captured the title on both occasions.
City’s squad is already thin, and despite Bernardo not hitting the same heights this season as in previous campaigns, he is still vitally important from now until May as City are still fighting in three competitions.