Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 22, 2022 Manchester City's Bernardo Silva during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Molly Darlington EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva could make a move away from the Etihad Stadium in the summer, according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.
The Lowdown: Previous interest in Silva
The previous summer transfer window saw the midfielder be heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, with City putting a reported price tag of €100m (£86m) on him.
A report in August then revealed that the City star was focused on staying at the Etihad Stadium for the current season.
Recently, it was claimed that the Manchester club are keen on getting Silva to sign a new deal with them, although it seems Agbonlahor thinks this could be a wasted exercise from the Blues.
The Latest: A potential summer exit
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker turned pundit Agbonlahor, had this to say about Silva and what the future could hold for him.
“As players, you only get one career, you only get one life. Bernardo Silva might have it in his head ‘I want to play for Barcelona, I want to play for such an iconic club’. A manager like Pep [Guardiola] will not want to stand in his way.
“It might be a case that Bernardo leaves in the summer and they grant him his wish to go to Barcelona. They can recoup some money and use that towards a signing.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to sign a new contract, he’s won the Premier League with Man City so he might want to try a different league.”
The Verdict: A big blow for City
To highlight how much of a key figure the Portuguese international is for City and Guardiola, only four other outfield players at the club have racked up more minutes in the Premier League this season than Silva.
Across the 12 league appearances he’s made, only Kevin De Bruyne (9) has supplied more assists than the 28-year-old (5), who has been hailed by Sam Lee for his “magic” attacking play in the past.
Do you think Bernardo Silva will sign a new contract at City?
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Taking into account how much of a prominent and effective attacking figure Silva is for Guardiola’s side, it would undoubtedly be a massive blow for them to see him leave the club in the summer.
Moving forward, as recent reports have claimed, City should do all they can to get the Portuguese international to put pen to paper on a new deal at the Etihad and put to bed any speculation about his future.
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