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Former Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva is without a club after leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of his contract
Bernardo Silva bids one final farewell to the Manchester City supporters
Bernardo Silva bids one final farewell to the Manchester City supporters(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Everything you need to know about Bernardo Silva's future after leaving Manchester City:
After a highly successful nine years, Bernardo Silva confirmed he would be leaving City following the expiry of his contract this summer.
In an emotional send off following the final game of the Premier League season, Bernardo told the City fans: "It is really tough to put into words my feelings for Man City, towards you guys. I don't think I will feel the same love ever in my life. The love I got from you guys, I doubt I will ever get it again. All the memories we have together, with my brothers, it is a family and you will always be my family."
At 31, Bernardo was not expected to retire after leaving City and instead his desire was to move to a club closer to his native Portugal.
Barcelona were showing early signs of interest but since Jose Mourinho looked set to join Real Madrid, Los Blancos have taken the advantage and now appear to be on the verge of confirming Bernardo's arrival.
When asked previously about joining Barca, the former City captain remained non-committal. "Is it a dream? I’m not going to answer that because I don’t know where I’ll end up," he said. "[Barcelona] is an option I have, but I haven’t made that decision yet. We don’t know what will happen."
Reports in Spain and elsewhere suggest Bernardo has agreed a two-year deal with Real and there is an option for a further 12 months should the La Liga giants choose to activate it.
Bernardo's former teammate Rodri, who has also been linked to Real Madrid, backed Bernardo to be a success in the Spanish capital. "I can see him [Bernardo] at any top club," he told Cadena Ser's El Laguero. "He’s a fantastic player and I believe he has completed his cycle at Manchester City. He’s 32 years old, but he still has a huge hunger to win and plenty of ambition." Read more from Rodri here.