---
title: "Manchester City: Bernardo Silva’s future ‘up in the air’"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/man-city-bernardo-silva-transfer-news/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Dominic Lund"
section: "Manchester City News"
published: "2022-12-28T07:05:21Z"
modified: "2022-12-28T07:05:21Z"
---

# Manchester City: Bernardo Silva’s future ‘up in the air’

**[Manchester City](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/manchester-city-news/) midfielder [Bernardo Silva](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/bernardo-silva/)‘s future at the Etihad Stadium is ‘up in the air, according to [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/4001320/2022/12/26/manchester-city-transfer-window-targets/).**

### The Lowdown: Silva’s City future

The Portugal star is still tied down on a long-term deal with the [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) champions, with his current contract not set to expire until [June 2025](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bernardo-silva/profil/spieler/241641), although there has been talk about him completing a move away from the club.

Barcelona have been potential suitors for Silva since the summer, although there have since been [reports](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/mercado-fichajes/barca-olvida-bernardo-silva-80268776) that the Catalan giants have recently decided to cool their interest as Man City’s valuation of the player is deemed too high, considering that he will be 29 next August.

While Xavi’s side are no longer plotting a move, it is now being reported that the midfielder’s future at the Etihad could still be in doubt…

### The Latest: Heading for the exit?

According to a report from [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/4001320/2022/12/26/manchester-city-transfer-window-targets/), Silva’s future as a City player is still ‘up in the air’, and Pep Guardiola may choose to cash in on a big offer if one arrives sooner rather than later.

However, a concern for the City manager would be finding a suitable replacement, with fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan’s [contract](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ilkay-gundogan/profil/spieler/53622) coming to an end in June as things stand.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”410621″\]

### The Verdict: Silva must stay

Hailed as ‘[unbelievable](https://twitter.com/joethomlinson/status/1441764450193772546?s=20&t=5QLiyUENFdEhAa73vfnZhQ)‘ by football presenter Joe Thomlinson, Silva has been a fantastic servant for Guardiola since [arriving](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/10894438/manchester-city-sign-bernardo-silva-from-monaco) at City in 2017, and he has continued to be an important player this season.

The [78-cap](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bernardo-silva/nationalmannschaft/spieler/241641) Portugal international has featured in all [14](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bernardo-silva/leistungsdaten/spieler/241641) of the Citizens’ Premier League games so far this term, scoring twice and bagging five assists, highlighting his aptitude for bringing his team-mates into the play and providing them with opportunities to finish.

This is also indicated by an average of [0.28](https://fbref.com/en/players/3eb22ec9/Bernardo-Silva) assists per 90 over the past year, placing him in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, while a match average of [3.95](https://fbref.com/en/players/3eb22ec9/Bernardo-Silva) shot-creating actions in the same period puts him in the 93rd percentile.

It could be very difficult to find a replacement who’s good enough to match this return, so Guardiola should hold onto Silva for the foreseeable future.