Overview
- Pep Lijnders, speaking Sunday after a 4-0 FA Cup win over Liverpool, said Bernardo Silva will depart when his contract expires this summer.
- Silva becomes a free agent in June, and neither the club nor the player has issued a formal statement despite months of signals about his future.
- The 31-year-old captain has made about 450 City appearances since joining from Monaco in 2017, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
- Juventus and Barcelona have been linked along with a possible Benfica return, while MLS and Saudi Pro League clubs are also tracking him as a no-fee signing could ease budget pressures.
- Lijnders said City will not seek a like-for-like replacement and will back youth to step up, with academy midfielder Nico O’Reilly cited and reports linking Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson as a targeted addition.