After nine successful years, Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of his contract in June. Pepijn Lijnders, the assistant coach of the Skyblues, confirmed the departure of the 31-year-old Portuguese. The Etihad Stadium will remember him as an eternal dynamo. After nine successful years, Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of the season. The 31-year-old Portuguese will pack his bags at the end of his contract in June. Pepijn Lijnders, one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants, confirmed this over the weekend.
“Every good story has an end. I hope he will fully enjoy these last months and say his goodbyes beautifully. He deserves it,” said the Dutch technician, as reported by the British press. “Bernardo Silva is unique in how he feels the game, what needs to be done on the field. There are not many like him. He knows when to pull back, when to make a move twenty meters from Rodri… It will be difficult, because as soon as he doesn’t play, we realize how much we miss him.”
An impressive record with City
Coming from Benfica, Bernardo Silva shone at AS Monaco by winning Ligue 1 in 2017 with Kylian Mbappé and Radamel Falcao, before being transferred to Manchester City for 50 million euros. A key player for the Skyblues, the Lisbon native has won a Champions League (2023), a Club World Cup, seven Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and three Community Shields in just under a decade.
Since his arrival from across the Channel, Bernardo Silva has played 450 matches with the Citizens (all competitions combined), scoring 76 goals and providing 77 assists. Despite his attachment to Manchester City, the Portuguese dribbler has never hidden his struggles to adapt to English life. For the next stage of his career, he now has options in Major League Soccer in the United States. Juventus is also reportedly interested. It remains to be seen if other top European clubs may show interest, as he will be free to engage wherever he wishes during the summer, without a transfer fee.
