Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been gifted a major boost as The Athletic share news on superstar midfielder Bernardo Silva.

The Lowdown: Bernardo to La Liga?

The Premier League champions, having geared up for what will be a very interesting season, sold previous long-serving first teamers Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko with club legend Fernandinho also leaving on a free transfer.

A real summer of change has taken place with star striker Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez, Stefan Ortega and Sergio Gomez coming in to replace the aforementioned quartet.

One star player who could have left a real gaping hole in the squad, Bernardo, was heavily linked with a move to La Liga giants Barcelona with the midfielder himself refusing to rule out a move.

The Latest: Pep gifted major Bernardo boost...

Now, as per journalist Oliver Kay of The Athletic, it appears Guardiola has been handed a major boost with news emerging on his crucial player.

Indeed, despite his Barca links, it is now believed that the Portugal international will commit his future to Eastlands for at least another year.

Kay explained (via Twitter):

"Very good news for Manchester City: Bernardo Silva is now focused on staying. His head was turned by interest from Barcelona, but, just like last summer, he's now happy to stay and focus fully on the season ahead at MCFC."

The Verdict: Huge...

Bernardo was a key man for City last season and proved a pivotal figure in helping the Sky Blues retain their domestic crown.

As highlighted by WhoScored, the 28-year-old was one of Guardiola's best players over 2021/2022 - finishing the campaign as their fifth-best performer by average match rating.

The former AS Monaco star was also an indispensable member of the City squad and played more league minutes than anyone in the squad bar Ederson, Joao Cancelo and Rodri.

Racking up eight goals and four assists to boot, having Bernardo for another season will be huge.