Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City in the summer when his contract expires and he will have plenty of suitors
Bernardo Silva of Manchester City gestures during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium
Bernardo Silva is to leave Manchester City at the end of the season when his contract expires
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Bernardo Silva's time at Manchester City is coming to an end. The Blues skipper is set to depart in the summer when his contract expires. It's a move that has been expected but one that was confirmed by City assistant boss Pep Lijnders when speaking after the FA Cup victory over Liverpool on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola will likely expand on Silva's future and legacy when he faces the media on Friday ahead of the Premier League trip to Chelsea on Sunday.
The Etihad boss is a huge fan of Silva and knows the difficulty the Blues will have in replacing not just the player but the person with the Portugal international's leadership and standard-setting two values that are highly regarded at City.
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For Bernardo, he is now into the final few weeks of his City career and will then head to the World Cup with Portugal. Where he is playing his club football next season remains to be seen but he won't be short of options.
Serie A side Juventus are keen on the 31-year-old, although it remains to be seen if the Italians could make a deal work financially. Barcelona are long-term admirers of Silva but have had cashflow problems of their own in recent years.
Both clubs would be able to allow Silva to continue to operate at the top table domestically and in Europe with the pair both Champions League regulars.
Silva has long spoken about a desire to return to former club Benfica but feels this summer would be too soon for a return to his homeland and would likely come further down the line.
A number of other European clubs would likely be keen on the midfielder, who will depart the Premier League after nine years with City and countless trophies.
Further afield, he will have his suitors in America with MLS side Inter Miami - home to Lionel Messi - perhaps a predictable link that has already emerged. That move would be a difficult one to achieve financially but other sides across the Atlantic will certainly be interested in Silva.
It's a similar situation in the Saudi Pro League. His Portugal teammates Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix and Rúben Neves all play in Saudi Arabia and a reunion with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr has also been floated. But any such deal would require an exit because the club's allocation of 10 foreign players is already full.
Wherever Silva ends up next season he will be missed at City.