It’s no secret that Bernardo Silva hasn’t been entirely happy at Manchester City and previously considered moving away from the Etihad Stadium, but Pep Guardiola hailed his professionalism and says any club that signs him in the future will have a fantastic player on their hands.
He said: “All I want is for Bernardo to be happy, here or anywhere. All I want is his happiness because he’s a guy that deserves the best. He was an incredible signing for us because he’s an exceptional person.
“If, at the end, he wants to leave and decides (to go), the only thing I can say is that the guy or the club that gets Bernardo is going to take one of the best players in the world.”
The 27-year-old has made 208 appearances in all competitions since joining City from AS Monaco in 2017, scoring 36 goals with 44 assists. He’s won four League Cups, three Premier League titles, two Community Shields and one FA Cup, but his time in Manchester could soon be up.
Silva wasn’t happy last season and wanted out of City before the summer transfer window shut, but no move materialised so he’s forced to stay until the right club matches his asking price. The Portuguese international was linked with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but his lofty valuation killed his chances of a move.
Barca are in crippling debt while Atleti didn’t have the resources available to sign Silva, so it remains to be seen who will stump up the money required – the 27-year-old cost City £45m in 2017 but has a market value of £63m now.
In other news, Real Madrid ‘renew interest’ in Man City man with 0 apps under Pep Guardiola