Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, ending a nine-year stint at the Etihad Stadium. The 31-year-old Portuguese playmaker announced his departure in an emotional statement on social media, expressing gratitude to the club, fans, and teammates.
Silva, who joined City from Monaco in 2017, leaves as one of the club's most decorated players. He won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, one Champions League, and one Club World Cup during his time in Manchester.
In his statement, Silva said: 'I arrived as a Man City player, I leave as one more of you, a Man City supporter for life. Keep supporting this young team and I'm pretty sure they will bring you a lot of new fantastic memories in the future.' He also thanked manager Pep Guardiola, the staff, and his teammates, describing the atmosphere at the training ground as like 'a big family'.
Guardiola, speaking earlier this month, jokingly expressed frustration that Silva had not informed him of the decision personally. 'I'm so grumpy with Bernardo because a month ago I said "if you take a decision I have to be the first to [know]" and he didn't say anything to me yet,' Guardiola said. He praised Silva as 'incredibly competitive' and a player who always stepped up in big moments.
