Bernardo Silva has been a regular at Manchester City and an important player for Pep Guardiola, but Sam Lee of The Athletic says the 26-year-old ‘would like to leave’ this summer and was ‘crestfallen’ when a proposed move to Barcelona fell through in 2020.
Silva joined City from AS Monaco in 2017 and has gone on to make 201 appearances in all competitions, scoring 35 goals with 44 assists. He featured in 45/61 games last season, having a hand in 14 goals, but it doesn’t appear he’s completely happy in Manchester.
Lee notes that the Portuguese international hasn’t sulked but says he does want a change of scenery. Barcelona came calling at the end of the 2019/20 season when City lost the Premier League title to Liverpool, but he never got his move.
Lee added that the Sky Blues have allowed some players to leave but isn’t sure the same courtesy will be extended to Silva. The 26-year-old is an influential part of the team and has impressed Guardiola with his performances despite wanting out, so it remains to be seen if he’s granted a move.
Atletico Madrid have shown interest in Silva this summer, so time will tell if anything comes of it.