Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish. (REUTERS/Chris Radburn)
Manchester City’s summer of transition was always going to be dramatic. After what was considered a disappointing 2024/25 season — by their own lofty standards — Pep Guardiola set about refreshing his squad.
The arrivals of Rayan Cherki, Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and goalkeeping duo James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma injected much-needed youth and fresh energy into the Etihad. But with change came farewells.
City waved goodbye to some of their greatest ever names. Kevin De Bruyne headed for Napoli, Ederson left for Fenerbahçe, and Ilkay Gündogan departed for a second time, this time joining Galatasaray.
Now, another iconic figure could soon follow them out of the door — captain Bernardo Silva.
Benfica Have “Contract Waiting” for Silva
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, City skipper Bernardo Silva has unexpectedly been pulled into the middle of Benfica’s presidential election race, with one of the candidates making a bold promise: bringing Silva home.
João Noronha Lopes, a frontrunner to become Benfica’s president in the October 25 elections, told A Bola: “I can confirm that a contract is waiting for Bernardo Silva. And I really want to bring Bernardo in in January. He embodies everything I want for Benfica — identity, a winning culture, and he’s a huge Benfica fan. And I can assure you that we won’t stop here.”
Silva, now 31 and in the final year of his Manchester City contract, came through Benfica’s academy before leaving for Monaco in 2015. Two years later, he was brought to the Premier League by Guardiola, who once hailed him as “incredible.”
While Lopes is using Silva’s name as part of his campaign, current Benfica boss Bruno Lage couldn’t help but weigh in.
Speaking at a press conference, Lage said: “From what I know about Bernardo and his motivation is that soon — I don’t know when, but soon — he will be a Benfica player regardless of the president.”
Silva has made 269 league appearances for Manchester City, scoring 43 goals and assisting countless more across a glittering career that includes five Premier League titles and a Champions League medal. He has also earned over 100 caps for Portugal.
But while Silva’s quality is unquestionable, his influence has waned slightly in recent seasons amid City’s rebuild. With his contract expiring in 2026 and no renewal agreed, City could be tempted to cash in this January rather than lose their captain for nothing.
For Benfica fans, the possibility of their prodigal son returning — especially in such dramatic, politically-charged circumstances — is a tantalising prospect. For Guardiola and City, it could mark the end of another glorious era at the Etihad.
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