In a recent interview (via The Mirror), renowned Portuguese journalist Felipe Dias mentioned that Manchester City winger Bernardo Silva has rejected a move to Arsenal this summer. However, it is understood that the Man City playmaker is still open to making a switch away from the Etihad Stadium before the end of this month. Dias said,
“The information we have is that Bernardo has made it pretty clear that this is the right time for him to leave (Manchester City).
“He did want to go to Barcelona. He wanted to live in Barcelona and play for Barcelona but Barcelona is going through such a big crisis that I don’t think they can afford a player like him at the moment.
“The latest we heard is that Bernardo has rejected a move to Arsenal and if that is the case I think rightly so because I don’t think that would be a step forward in his career.”
Silva’s Impressive Form At Manchester Last Season
The 27-year-old enjoyed a good run of form with Man City last season when he put in a run of productive displays as a key member of Pep Guardiola’s first XI. Silva banged in five goals and secured nine assists in 45 matches for the Mancunian giants in the previous campaign across all fronts.
The Portugal international proved himself to be a decent contributor on the field after he averaged 1.0 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.1 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game in Premier League football. He was even excellent when distributing possession in the opponent’s half as he made 91.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
What Should Be Pep Guardiola’s Play Here With Regards To Silva’s Future?
Silva is an energetic wide player who can complete some dangerous dribbles in the final third and has got the vision to create a few promising chances for his teammates to find the back of the net. He can even strike the ball with power and precision from long range.
The experienced Portugal international can even be a composed finisher in front of the opposition goal when he is playing well on the pitch. However, he needs to play regularly if he wants to make the most out of the remainder of his career.
Silva has got nearly four years left to run in his Man City contract, but the arrival of Jack Grealish at the Etihad Stadium earlier this summer could see his game time get cut short if he stays with the Mancunian outfit beyond this summer. Hence, it makes sense for the player to seek a move elsewhere in search of a fresh challenge in the coming seasons.
At the moment, it is only fair to Silva for Guardiola to let him go before the end of this month. Man City have a strong squad as it is and could cope with the Portuguese wing wizard’s exit in this transfer window. Hence, they have no reason to have an unsettled player as he could potentially disrupt the chemistry of Guardiola’s squad this season.
