Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, the assistant manager Pep Lijnders has announced, saying the captain deserves a good farewell.
The midfielder has long been expected to move on when his contract expires in the summer, but had not revealed that he would go until Lijnders said that “every good story comes to an end” and that the Portugal international is in the final weeks of his time at the Etihad Stadium.
The Dutchman believes it will be impossible to replace Silva because he is unique, and feels he will leave a huge void.
Lijnders said: “Every good story comes to an end, and I hope he enjoys the last months – there are only six weeks – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention as well.”
Silva, who has attracted interest from Juventus recently, was a past target for Barcelona and had wanted to move on to a warmer climate than Manchester.
The 31-year-old, who joined from Monaco in 2017, is one of the most decorated players in City’s history, winning one treble and 19 trophies, including the Champions League in 2023 and six Premier Leagues.
Appointed captain for this season, he lifted his first silverware as skipper when they won the Carabao Cup last month.
Silva has made more appearances under Pep Guardiola than anyone else – with his 450th City game coming in the 4-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday – and was named City’s player of the season in 2018-19.
Lijnders admitted City will face a struggle to bring in a similar player, adding: “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique. The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions. All these things.
“You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first 11. And then you hope, with our academy, with the young players we already bought, that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions.
“If you see our young boys in the academy, then they have to make that step and to grow. But the most important is that the seniors who stay for a long time, that they stay, that they stay, that they stay. That they are always there and around that, you can move.
“But it will be hard because, as I said, in the game, when he is not playing, you will see how he is missed, and that’s one game. Imagine a season.”
