Bernardo Silva is out of contract in the summer
He was rumoured to be leaving
Pep Lijnders has confirmed the captain’s plans
Manchester City’s assistant manager has made a surprising announcement about Bernardo Silva after the team’s 4-0 victory over Liverpool.
Speculation has been ongoing about Bernardo Silva throughout the season, with little hope given that he would choose to sign a new contract.
Initially, Silva refused to confirm whether or not he would leave Manchester City, perhaps out of respect for his club of nine years.
However, it was recently reported that Silva would depart Man City at the end of the season, exiting as a free agent.
Pepin Lijnders confirms Bernardo Silva’s Man City departure
The fact Silva is going to move in the summer is not all surprising for anyone who has been following Man City. Still, the club had not made an official announcement.
That was until Sunday, when Pepin Lijnders confirmed the inevitable. The news would not have been expected to come from City’s assistant coach, but he clearly decided the time was right to inform the supporters.
“Bernardo Silva is unique,” Lijnders said in his post-match press conference. “It will be hard because in a game when he is not playing you will see how he is missed – and that’s [only] one game.
“Imagine a season. But every good story comes to an end, and I hope he enjoys the last months – there are only six weeks – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention.”
Man City have been exploring replacements for Silva
With Man City possessing prior knowledge of Silva’s summer exit, the club have been hard at work to search out a worthy replacement for the Portuguese legend.
Elliot Anderson has been heavily linked with Man City and better still, the Citizens are leading the race for his signature.
There have also been reports of interest in Sandro Tonali, who looks bound to leave Newcastle during the summer transfer window.
Ultimately, Silva will not be an easy player to replace, but City have some top class talents in their sights. Plus, his exit could be the gateway to players such as Nico Gonzalez getting more minutes on the pitch.