Saudi Arabia bosses target four-year agreement with Manchester City superstar | OneFootball

Manchester City could see their latest star player from the Pep Guardiola era depart in the summer of 2026 with Saudi Arabia emerging as serious suitors.

Over the past few years, Bernardo Silva’s long-term future has been a recurring subject of speculation, despite his influential role in Manchester City’s latest successes under manager Pep Guardiola.

The Portugal international has repeatedly been linked with moves to Barcelona – touted as a dream destination for the midfielder – while interest from Paris Saint-Germain and his boyhood club Benfica has also been a constant theme.

The introduction of Saudi Pro League spending power has, however, shifted the landscape with clubs in the Gulf having already attracted the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, and Sadio Mané, and the prospect of adding Manchester City’s current captain to their roster would be seen as another major coup.

Bernardo Silva, who turned 31 earlier this summer, remains one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants, but his advancing career timeline perhaps makes the lure of a lucrative final contract more realistic.

From Manchester City’s perspective, the club will likely remain keen to retain Silva’s services at least until the end of his deal in 2026, with Guardiola continuing to value his versatility, leadership, and influence in both midfield and wide roles.

But according to the information of talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Bernardo Silva is considering a move to Saudi Arabia when his City contract expires next summer, having been engaged in on-off talks with Middle-Eastern officials since the summer of 2023.

It is claimed that Al Hilal had made an offer worth around £500,000-per-week with a sign-on fee of over £2 million to secure Bernardo Silva, while league bosses now want the Manchester City captain to sign a four-year contract with one of their member clubs.

However, the report indicates that Al Hilal are unlikely to return with an offer, while more recent enquiries have come from Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah. Al Nassr view Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes as a higher-priority target.

Looking ahead, speculation is likely to intensify as Bernardo Silva enters the final year of his Manchester City contract. While Benfica continues to linger in the conversation as an eventual homecoming, the financial weight of Saudi Arabia’s approach could prove decisive.

If Silva does make the switch, it would mark the first time in Pep Guardiola’s tenure that a current Manchester City captain has departed directly to the Middle East, albeit following in the direction of prominent names such as Mahrez, Joao Cancelo, and Aymeric Laporte.

For supporters, much will depend on whether Bernardo Silva signals an intention to stay on beyond 2026. Should he leave, the club would not only need to replace one of their most technically gifted players but also a figure who embodies Guardiola’s philosophy.