Shortly after the Portuguese press revealed that a contract was waiting for Bernardo Silva, Benfica presidential candidate João Noronha Lopes confirmed the story in an interview withA Bola.
The 59-year-old went further, underlining that the Manchester City midfielder is at the very centre of his project for the Lisbon club.
“Yes, I confirm that there is a contract waiting for Bernardo Silva. And I really want to bring him already in January. He personifies everything I want for Benfica: identity, a winning culture, and he is a great Benfiquista. And I can guarantee you that we will not stop here,” said Noronha Lopes, who is the favourite candidate to win the elections scheduled for October 25.
As explained by A Bola andrelayed here yesterday, the idea is to convince Manchester City to release the 31-year-old in January, a move that would bring the English club some compensation.
If that is not possible, Benfica would then wait until the summer, when Silva’s deal at the Etihad runs out, allowing a free transfer.
The candidate’s public confirmation quickly sparked further comment. Speaking in his press conference on Thursday, coachBruno Lage also addressed the subject of Bernardo Silva’s return.
“Without wanting to enter the political side, from what I know of Bernardo and his motivation, soon he will be a Benfica player, regardless of the president,” he stated.
The combination of Lopes’ electoral pledge and Lage’s belief that Silva will eventually wear the shirt again has given the story even more weight in Lisbon and in Manchester.