Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City as a free agent when his contract expires in June, assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed after the club’s 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool.
The 31-year-old City captain has made 450 appearances since joining from Monaco in 2017 for a reported fee of approximately $57.35 million.
“Every good story comes to an end,” Lijnders told reporters. “I hope he enjoys the last months – there are only six weeks left – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention.”
Lijnders made clear no direct replacement would be sought. “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique. 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.”
The Portuguese playmaker has won six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League among 19 trophies across his nine seasons. He was handed the captaincy last summer following the exits of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne.
Barcelona and Juventus lead the chase for Silva’s signature, while MLS and Saudi Pro League clubs have also expressed interest. Silva intends to decide on his next club before the World Cup.
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He has just six weeks remaining to lead City’s pursuit of silverware. The club trails Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points with a game in hand and eight matches remaining.
