BREAKING: Bernardo Silva confirms decision made on Manchester City future ahead of AS Monaco return | OneFootball

Manchester City and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva has admitted that he has made his mind up on his club future as he navigates the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva has been appointed club captain by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after club officials allowed the 31-year-old to enter the final year of his current deal, which is set to expire in June 2026.

City conducted a major rejig of their first-team squad in the recent transfer window as Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ederson secured permanent moves away from the Etihad Stadium in a change of guard at the club following a sub-standard 2024-25 season.

The series of notable departures meant Manchester City needed a new captain and Guardiola handed the armband to his most trusted confidante – a player whom the Catalan famously declared would not leave the club so long as Guardiola is head coach in what was only Silva’s second season in England.

Since his arrival to the Etihad Stadium from AS Monaco in 2017, Silva has played an instrumental role in the success Manchester City have enjoyed on the domestic, European and global fronts, having won six Premier League titles amongst a plethora of silverware during his time in England.

Silva has a decision to make on his future and will be formally allowed to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs from January 1 2026 as he mulls on a potential next chapter of his career, having previously sought an amicable route out of Manchester City amid interest from Spain and Portugal.

Speaking ahead of his first UEFA Champions League away day as Manchester City captain against his former club AS Monaco on Wednesday evening, the playmaker was quizzed on whether he has made his mind up on his club future.

“I know exactly what I’m going to do but it’s not the time to talk about it,” the Portugal international said.

“It’s time to focus here, to focus at Manchester City, to try to do my best to put the club back where it belongs.

“Regarding my contract, I’m really focussed on doing a proper season, as well as possible to perform and bring back the team and club to the level it deserves to be.”

Manchester City officials will be desperate to keep hold of their captain beyond the 2025-26 campaign as Silva represents the best of Guardiola’s trophy-laden era at the Etihad Stadium and Silva’s exit next summer would leave too big a hole to fill in the squad that underwent open heart surgery in the recent transfer window.

Guardiola knows how valuable Silva remains to his methods and the Manchester City manager as well as Manchester City’s newly-appointed sporting director Hugo Viana will soon look to table contract renewal talks with the soon-to-be-out-of-contract midfielder.