Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has warned Manchester City not to get rid of Bernardo Silva this summer after they put a huge price tag on the midfield maestro's head.

The Lowdown: City demand £80m for Silva

The 27-year-old first joined the Premier League champions when he arrived from Monaco back in 2017, and has gone on to become a Sky Blues fan favourite during his five years at the club, making 251 appearances to date.

The midfielder still has three years remaining on his current contract at the Etihad, and it was claimed by the Daily Mirror last week that the club will demand ‘in excess of £80m’ from Barcelona this summer, who want to bring the versatile star to La Liga.

The Latest: Whelan sends City warning

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan suggested that whilst £80m would be a good value deal for any interested clubs, he strongly believes that Silva could strike up a great partnership with new signing Erling Haaland.

“He’s been one of the most consistent players for Man City in every season since joining. He was close to leaving last summer, but what a revelation he was in the 2021-22 season.

“On his day, he’s just one of these players you can’t defend against.

“£80m doesn’t seem a bad figure from a buyer’s perspective, especially as he has another three or four years of his best football ahead of him.

“I would be really reluctant to sell him if I were Man City.

“You’ve got Erling Haaland coming in who would thrive from having his quality. What’s the point of bringing Haaland in if he’s not going to get the service?”

The Verdict: Valuable creative outlet

With Fernandinho confirmed to be leaving this summer, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ilkay Gundogan, City need to do everything that they can to keep Silva, who has been a brilliant creative outlet in the middle of the park.

This season, the 70-cap international racked up 13 goals and provided seven assists across all competitions under Pep Guardiola, as per Transfermarkt, and played a huge role in helping the Spaniard get his hands on yet another top-flight trophy.

Whether the Lisbon-born talent will still be a City player come the start of August yet remains to be seen, but we find it very difficult do disagree with Whelan's assessment.

In other news… another Manchester City first team star could reportedly be tempted by a ‘fresh challenge’ away from the Etihad.