Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva has been given the opportunity to leave in January as a contract for him has been drawn up by a 38-time league champion, according to a report.
Silva was named Man City captain in June following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne. Silva became the first skipper to be appointed by Pep Guardiola in his 17-year coaching career, having previously allowed his players to vote on who should lead them.
The decision helped City keep the midfielder over the summer. Silva has regularly been linked with clubs such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, while Al-Hilal were ready to offer him a monster contract.
Silva has played in all three of City’s Premier League games so far this season.
His contract expires in June 2026, which means City are facing a big decision over whether to offer him an extension or move on.
The De Bruyne case shows that City do not fear making brutal choices over their club legends.
As per Portuguese newspaper Record, Primeira Liga giants Benfica will force City into an early decision on Silva’s future.
Joao Noronha Lopes is running for the presidency at Benfica and has identified Silva as his No 1 target.
Talks between Lopes and Silva are described as ‘advanced’, with a contract ‘prepared and ready to be signed on January 1’.
At that stage – under the Bosman ruling – the Portugal star will be eligible to negotiate a free transfer with European clubs.
If City decide against offering Silva fresh terms, then they will have two options in January. They could either recoup funds by selling him to Benfica in a cut-price deal or let him run down his contract before leaving on a free next summer.
Given the fact Silva is City’s captain, it is hard to see them letting him go mid-season. That did happen to Kyle Walker in January, though Silva has been handpicked as City’s leader by Guardiola.
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Bernardo Silva eager to play for Benfica
Lopes knows that Silva dreams of returning to Benfica, having supported the club growing up and come through their academy before joining Monaco in 2015.
The 31-year-old only made three first-team appearances for Benfica being leaving, so he would love to come back and be one of their most important players.
When asked about Silva’s potential return last year, Lopes said: “Bernardo is a huge Benfica fan and someone all fans would love to have back here one day. He’s under contract with another club, so I won’t comment on that situation.”
In 2023, Silva was quizzed on starring for Benfica in the future. He replied: “I think about it every year. It’s always been a goal. I wasn’t able to fulfil my dream of playing for Benfica when I was 19 or 20, but I still want to fulfil it.”
The Saudis could make a new approach for Silva next year, giving him the chance to earn life-changing money in the Middle East. But Silva appears determined to realise his childhood goal and lead Benfica to more league titles – they have already won a record 38 in their history.
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Spurs have been tipped to perform a rescue mission for a City player in January.
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