Bernardo Silva to leave Manchester City at end of the season

Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Premier League club announced Thursday as they hailed his “incalculable” contribution to our “greatest sustained period of success”.

The 31-year-old Portuguese playmaker, who is the current club captain, joined City from Monaco for £43 million ($58 million) in 2017 and has gone on to make over 450 appearances for manager Pep Guardiola’s side, winning 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League, as well as this season’s League Cup.

He has also scored 76 goals and provided 77 assists to date, with Silva also involved as City won the ‘treble’ of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 2022/23 season.

Silva recently moved into the top 10 of all-time City appearance holders, overtaking several notable former players, including David Silva, Paul Power and Willie Donachie.

“Manchester City can confirm Bernardo Silva will leave the club this summer,” said a City statement.

“Bernardo will now focus on seeking to try and ensure his remaining time at City ends with even more silverware, with Pep Guardiola’s side still very much in the hunt to win both the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

“In short, he will be deservedly remembered both as one of City’s finest and most popular players of all time.”

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Confirming his departure from the Etihad on his Instagram page, Silva wrote: “When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things.

“This city and this club gave me much more than that, much more than I ever hoped for. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart.

“The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the Four In A Row and much more… It wasn’t that bad.

“In a few months, it’s time to say goodbye to the city where not only we won so much as a football club, but also where I started my marriage and my family. From the bottom of my heart, Ines and Carlota, thank you!”

Bernardo Silva, who thanked fans for their “unconditional support” and said he would leave the Etihad as a “Man City supporter for life”, added: “To the club, Pep, the staff and all my team-mates these nine years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long.

“The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”

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Bernardo Silva set to leave Manchester City

Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Premier League club announced Thursday as they hailed his “incalculable” contribution to our “greatest sustained period of success”.

The 31-year-old Portuguese playmaker, who is the current club captain, joined City from Monaco for £43 million ($58 million) in 2017.

He has gone on to make over 450 appearances for manager Pep Guardiola’s side, winning 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League as well as this season’s League Cup.

He has also scored 76 goals and provided 77 assists to date, with Silva also involved as City won the ‘treble’ of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 2022/23 season.

Silva recently moved into the top 10 of all-time City appearance holders, overtaking several notable former players, including David Silva, Paul Power and Willie Donachie.

“Manchester City can confirm Bernardo Silva will leave the club this summer,” said a City statement.

“Bernardo will now focus on seeking to try and ensure his remaining time at City ends with even more silverware, with Pep Guardiola’s side still very much in the hunt to win both the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

“In short, he will be deservedly remembered both as one of City’s finest and most popular players of all time.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Confirming his departure from the Etihad on his Instagram page, Silva wrote: “When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things.

“This city and this club gave me much more than that, much more than I ever hoped for. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart.

“The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the Four In A Row and much more… It wasn’t that bad.

“In a few months, it’s time to say goodbye to the city where not only we won so much as a football club, but also where I started my marriage and my family. From the bottom of my heart, Ines and Carlota, thank you!”

Silva, who thanked fans for their “unconditional support” and said he would leave the Etihad as a “Man City supporter for life”, added: “To the club, Pep, the staff and all my team-mates these nine years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long.

“The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”

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Silva strikes late as Manchester City sink Chelsea to reach FA Cup final

Bernardo Silva fired Manchester City back into the FA Cup final as the Portugal midfielder’s late strike sealed the holders’ 1-0 win against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side were second best for long periods of the semi-final, but Chelsea wasted a string of chances before Silva delivered the knockout blow six minutes from full-time.

Shaken by their Champions League quarter-final loss against Real Madrid on penalties in midweek, City took a while to shake off the gloom from the end of their treble bid.

They were hampered by the absence of Norway striker Erling Haaland after he suffered a knock against Real, with Julian Alvarez unable to make an impact as his replacement.

City were bailed out by Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson’s profligacy and Guardiola will hope the hard-fought success provides a timely lift as they chase a Premier League and FA Cup double.

Manchester City face United or Coventry, who meet on Sunday, in the final on May 25 and will retain the Premier League title if they win their last six games.

It will be City’s 13th final in the competition and potentially a repeat of last year’s 2-1 win over United in the Wembley Manchester derby.

Beaten by Liverpool in the League Cup final in February, Chelsea’s wait to win their first domestic trophy since the 2018 FA Cup goes on for another season.

It was a bitter blow for Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has endured a difficult first season in charge and remains without silverware in England.

The semi-final was billed as in-form Chelsea forward Cole Palmer’s chance to punish his old club for selling him to the Blues in September.

Guardiola said Palmer was asking to leave City for two years before he eventually joined Chelsea, where he has scored 23 goals in all competitions this, including 11 in his last six games.

Palmer, who scored four times in Monday’s 6-0 rout of Everton, was a constant threat for Chelsea, but ultimately it was his team’s lack of killer instinct that proved decisive.

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Palmer’s pin-point pass sent Jackson racing into the City area early on, but his strike lacked the accuracy to beat Stefan Ortega in a miss that foreshadowed Chelsea’s fate.

Jackson wasted a golden opportunity to give Chelsea the goal their dominance deserved.

Enzo Fernandez’s pass split the City defence, but Jackson opted to go around Ortega rather than shoot and the chance was gone as Nathan Ake scurried back to clear.

Playing with more purpose and quality than City, Pochettino’s team threatened again as Palmer cleverly shimmied past Rodri for a low drive from 12 yards that was well saved by Ortega.

It was the first time lethargic Manchester City had failed to muster a first half shot on target since a game against Everton in February.

Jackson, in the midst of a terrible debut season, was put clean through on goal by Conor Gallagher immediately after the interval.

But the much-maligned striker’s shot was palmed away by Ortega, who clawed away a close-range header from Jackson seconds later.

City finally tested Djordje Petrovic through Phil Foden’s snap-shot, but the Serbian was equal to his powerful strike.

Chelsea appealed in vain for a penalty when Jack Grealish’s arm blocked Palmer’s free-kick, while Moises Caicedo was fortunate to escape a second booking for a crunching tackle that forced Grealish to limp off.

Grealish’s replacement Jeremy Doku drew an immediate save from Petrovic with a near-post blast.

Doku’s presence lifted Manchester City and the Belgian played a part as they stole the victory in the 84th minute.

Advancing with intent towards the Chelsea area, Doku slipped a pass to Kevin de Bruyne, whose low cross was pushed out by Petrovic to Silva for a close-range finish that deflected home as Guardiola punched the air in relief.

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