Towards the end of the 2025/26 Premier League season Bernardo Silva confirmed that he would leave Manchester City upon the expiration of his current contract, bringing his legendary nine-year stint at the Etihad Stadium to a close.
As such, speculation as to where he would go next quickly became rife with media circles. Recently, Barcelona have emerged as the leading contenders to acquire the Portuguese international’s signature.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are firmly in contention to bring him on board. Additionally, the move has now been given the green light by head coach Ansi Flick, as per Gerard Romero on X (formerly Twitter).
However, the Catalonian giants are not the only club in the race to acquire Silva’s signature. Atletico Madrid and Benfica also want to sign him in the summer [via The Mirror], but Silva himself would prefer a move to the Camp Nou. He has previous links with Benfica, having been born in Lisbon and spending his youth in their academy.
As such, it can be assumed that Barcelona will most likely be his next destination, but players seldom have the final word in such matters – at this point, only time will tell. Chelsea have been linked with Silva but it seems unlikely he would join another club in the Premier League.
Bernardo Silva 2025/26 Premier League stats
Games Goals Assists Yellow Cards Red Cards
Bernardo Silva 38 2 4 9 0
The previous campaign wasn’t the most prolific of Silva’s career by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a perfect encapuslation of his longevity and pliability in the modern game.
He played in every midfield role for City last season, including central midfield, attacking midfield and defensive midfield. He even occupied his original role of right-winger on a couple of occasions.
Silva can also play as a full-back or as a false nine if required to do so – such adaptability is crucial in the modern game, where footballers are expected to play more matches than ever before.
He is also willing to get his hands dirty if he needs to – having picked up nine yellow cards in the Premier League alone this season, this should be pretty evident.
Would Bernardo Silva be a good fit for Barcelona?
In many ways, Silva would be an excellent fit at Barcelona. Hansi Flick employs a high-tempo, high-pressing style of play – having functioned in a Guardiola team for several years, this will be nothing new to the 31-year-old.
Barcelona are very strong in multiple positions, not needing any sort of new cover, but this won’t matter in Silva’s case due to his chameleonic malleability.
Furthermore, with only three players in their squad who are over the age of 30 at the time of writing, Barcelona could use a bit of experience at this point. An intelligent player both on and off the pitch, Silva could serve as a fantastic role model to some of Barca’s young talents.
Not only is he capable of covering multiple positions, he also possesses excellent leadership qualities, having taken City’s captain’s armband on several occasions in the previous campaign.