Lijnders: “Bernardo Silva will not return to Manchester after the World Cup”

Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of the season. The confirmation comes from the words of Pep Lijnders, Pep Guardiola’s number two, who in the press conference after the 4-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup let slip that the 31-year-old Portuguese whose contract expires on 30 June will not return to Manchester after the World Cup. “Every good story comes to the end – said Lijnders, in the press conference because Guardiola is disqualified -. I hope that Bernardo enjoys the last 6 weeks, that he has a good ending because he deserves it. And he deserves all the attention possible”. Here is made public what everyone knew at the Etihad Campus, here is revealed why the Portuguese is on the radar of all the teams in Europe, including Juve.

IRREPLACEABLE

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Silva arrived in Manchester in the summer of 2017 from Monaco, at the end of Guardiola’s first English season. With City he won everything, instantly transforming himself into one of the irreplaceable. Because on the pitch he is capable of doing anything, not only in terms of roles but also in terms of intelligence. No one sees how Bernardo, who grew up at Benfica and exploded at Monaco, sees the game. It’s one of the reasons why Pep dotes on him and has always said he considers him among the best he has ever coached. This year he made him captain, by his own choice and not by common vote as happened in previous years. And Bernardo rose to a sensational level, accumulating minutes and decisive plays, acting as a leader on the pitch and helping the team grow. “There aren’t many players who understand what the game needs like him – was Lijnders’ praise to Silva before anticipating that these are his last weeks at City -. Bernardo understands that his mission is to play well and make the team play well. He’s one of those players who you realize how important he is when he’s not there. He can’t be replaced, because someone with his characteristics doesn’t exist. He’s unique: for the way he controls the matches, for the way he is a leader, for the way he moves, for the way he sees the solutions on the pitch. If you lose him, you have to look for someone who can help the team grow and fit in among the starters, but in reality you have to hope that your young players from the Academy and those you have already signed continue to grow. You can’t replace someone like him: you can see how much we’re already missing if he misses a match, let alone an entire season.”

and now?

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While Hugo Viana, City’s sporting director, will have to figure out how to replace Bernardo next year, he will worry about helping Guardiola win the FA Cup of which he reached the semi-final for the eighth year in a row. And perhaps complete the very difficult comeback against Arsenal to take City’s seventh Premier League in nine years. Then it will be goodbye, with the greats of Europe already thinking about how they can afford it. Silva is on City’s payroll for 10 million euros net per season plus 2.5 million bonuses in 2025-26 and for the next part of his career he wants a high-level challenge, as City has been. Juve have already started contacts with their agent Jorge Mendes, offering a three-year deal with the option for a fourth season and a salary of at least 7-8 million euros per season, even if Guardiola’s protégé will turn 32 in August. The Bianconeri will not be the only ones: in January the Portuguese was linked to Barcelona, ​​in the past he had been tempted by PSG and such a player would also be useful to the reigning European champions. There are also the more profitable Saudi League and MLS options, perhaps with Messi at Inter Miami. The Bernardo Silva they talk about at Manchester City, however, is still one of the key players for a great European team. How is City, to which the Portuguese is ready to say goodbye after nine seasons. Whichever team he chooses for his next adventure, he promises to instantly become irreplaceable. Because there are very few like Bernardo around. Word of Pep Guardiola.