Manchester City assistant Pep Lijnders confirmed this weekend that Bernardo Silva would be leaving the club at the end of his contract.
Bernardo Silva’s chapter at Manchester City will come to an end this summer(Image: Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Manchester City fans had braced themselves for Bernardo Silva’s departure this summer and now the news has been confirmed. The 31-year-old has been ever-present for the Blues, making 450 appearances and counting for Pep Guardiola’s men.
All of those appearances have come under Guardiola and his assistant Pep Lijnders admitted replacing the 31-year-old would be impossible. “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique,” he explained. “The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions.
“All these things. You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first XI.”
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City will still need to sign at least one midfielder to fill the gap left behind by Bernardo. MEN Sport has taken a look at three options the Blues could look at to replace their captain.
Leon Goretzka – Bayern Munich
The Germany international joined Bayern two years after Guardiola left the Bundesliga. He has been integral as the Bavarian club continued to dominate Germany. Goretzka is the same age as Bernardo and would add experience to a relatively young side next season.
His style is similar to Bernardo’s. Goretzka wants to carry the ball forward and, like Bernardo, wants to play forward passes at every given opportunity.
Goretzka would also be free, having agreed to leave Bayern at the end of his contract. The risk for City is that he has not played as many minutes as Bernardo this season and has never played outside of Germany.
The Bundesliga is one of the most physical divisions outside the Premier League so that could play to his favour. But City would need him to play more games if he is to be a credible Bernardo replacement.
Sandro Tonali – Newcastle United
If Newcastle miss out on the Champions League football, it is difficult to see them keeping Tonali. At 25, the Italian is entering the prime of his career and is more than good enough to play for one of the top teams.
Tonali has mainly been used as a defensive midfielder this season but has the attributes to play alongside a holding player like Rodri. He doesn’t carry the ball as much as Bernardo but a large part of that is due to playing deeper in Eddie Howe’s system.
Like Bernardo, he is trying to make forward passes when he gets the ball and Guardiola could turn him into a replacement for the captain. The trouble for City will be his price tag.
Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson insisted last week that clubs would need to play by their terms in the transfer market, but fell short of communicating a price tag for Tonali. Whether City would want to pay £80m plus for the Italy international remains to be seen.
Elliot Anderson – Nottingham Forest
Anderson could be a very wise investment if Forest are relegated this season. The former Newcastle midfielder has enjoyed a stellar campaign despite Forest’s struggles and is almost guaranteed to be leaving the East Midlands in the summer.
Like Bernardo, Anderson’s strengths are progressive and forward passes. However, he also wins a high percentage of duels and wins back possession considerably more than the current City captain.
At 23, he is also the youngest option on the list, but he does not lack experience. One area where he struggles compared to Bernardo is carrying the ball forward but this could be worked on.
If Forest avoid relegation, they will want £100m for Anderson. That is a hefty sum but the England international would add a new dimension to City’s midfield.
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