Bernardo Silva: His City story

Recent reports suggest Bernardo Silva is searching for a new challenge. The winger has won everything there is to win in England, including three Premier League titles. So what is next for him?

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates with the trophy during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on May 23, 2021, in Manchester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

By Harri Burton10 August 2021 21:59 BST

Multiple sources have reported Bernardo Silva's unsettlement at the club after his lack of game time last season.

An in-form İlkay Gündoğan, alongside the undroppable Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, meant the Portuguese winger was unable to appear as consistently as he may have wanted, averaging 73 minutes per game in all competitions.

Of the last 13 games of the Premier League season, Bernardo played 586 minutes, averaging out at 45 minutes per game, while being benched for six of those 13.

Pedro Almeida, a Portuguese journalist who specialises in transfers, stated that multiple clubs are interested in the Manchester City man, such as Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

At the moment there are three clubs very interested in Bernardo #Silva, #Atlético, #Bayern and #Arsenal. Any of the interested clubs will need to sell players first and then advance by Bernardo. 🇵🇹 #MCFC https://t.co/aHpytMa8Cf
— Pedro Almeida (@pedrogva6) August 7, 2021

Fabrizio Romano also explained on the latest episode of his 'Here We Go' podcast that Bernardo wants to 'try something new'. He mentioned that the winger has admirers in Spain, with Atletico especially interested if they are able to offload Saúl Ñíguez.

"Bernardooo Silva, running down the wing"

Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva has been a fan favourite since arriving at the club in 2017 from Monaco.

After knocking his current club out of the Champions League with Monaco (alongside teammate Benjamin Mendy), Pep Guardiola was so impressed with the French League star that he signed him for a reported £43.5million.

Since then, Bernardo has made 202 appearances in City colours, racking up 35 goals and 44 assists. He has also scored a whole host of memorable goals and was even nominated for the Ballon d'Or in the 2019/20 season.

"The one that means the most to me is Manchester United at Old Trafford," Bernardo said in an interview.

This stunner opened the scoring in an eventual 3-1 win over the Red Devils in the Carabao Cup - and what a special strike it was, especially against a rival team.

In the 2018/19 season, Bernardo filled in for the injured De Bruyne, resulting in being voted into the PFA Team of the Year and being awarded Manchester City Player of the Season, chosen by the fans.

It is safe to say that Bernardo has had an impact on the Man City fan community, with a friendly smile, a vibrant personality, and a skillset which backs up his pricetag.