Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva was denied a late move in the transfer window after the club rejected a bid from Atletico Madrid for the Portuguese international.
The Lowdown: Key member of Guardiola's squad
The 27-year-old was a key member of Guardiola’s side last term as they regained the Premier League title, appearing 45 times in all competitions. However, after contributing to 18 goals in the previous campaign, he only managed five goals and nine assists during the 2020/21 season.
After appearing in every game for Portugal in Euro 2020, Silva’s future at the club seemed uncertain after it was rumoured that he was keen on a departure and that the club wouldn’t stand in his way.
However, after being an unused substitute in the opening day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Silva has started in the subsequent two 5-0 wins over Norwich City and Arsenal and remained at the club as the transfer window came to an end.
The Latest: Staying put for now, but there is a price
As per a report by The Mirror, City rejected a cash-plus-player offer for the midfielder from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid involving Saul Niguez, who the La Liga club were offering to Guardiola's side in their attempts to lure Silva to Spain.
The article states that Guardiola wasn’t interested in adding the Spanish midfielder to his squad, turning down a potential late-window coup, and he was eventually loaned to Chelsea with an option to buy for £30m.
It is believed that the move to Stamford Bridge only came about after Atletico's offer for Silva was swiftly rejected, as the Premier League champions were demanding £40m outright to part with the 27-year-old.
The Verdict: Good to keep 'unstoppable' Silva around
Silva’s influence and versatility are one of the most important aspects of Manchester City’s squad. His current manager named him ‘unstoppable’ last season as his performances helped City win their fifth Premier League title.
With the ability to play out wide, where he isn’t used as often due to the quality of Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden, and through the middle, Silva offers more versatility to Guardiola than Saul would, with the Chelsea loanee almost exclusively a central midfielder.
Despite Fabrizio Romano’s claim that the Portugal playmaker wanted out of Manchester, Silva still has plenty of faith from his manager and will be keen to ensure that the club's transfer stance ends up being wholly justified.
In other news, lots of Man City fans are excited to see one youngster included in their European squad. Find out more here.