Pep Guardiola: Part of me is leaving Manchester City with ‘special’ Bernardo Silva | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has paid an emotional tribute to departing club captain Bernardo Silva ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.

Silva announced in an open letter to the Manchester City faithful this week that he will be leaving the club when his current contract expires in June.

The 31-year-old has been one of Guardiola’s most successful signings at the Etihad Stadium since joining from AS Monaco for £43 million in 2017 – winning six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title as part of a historic treble – amongst a plethora of silverware on the domestic, European and global fronts.

City director of football Hugo Viana is set to progress his remake of the first-team ranks in the summer transfer window and Silva is the first of what is expected to be a long list of senior stars set to leave the club ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Part of me will leave Man City with Bernardo, says Guardiola

In an emotional tribute to the player who has featured the most for the Manchester City manager during his career in the dugout, Guardiola opened up on the bond he shares with Silva and how much he will miss the Portuguese when he leaves.

On whether Silva is the hardest player to say goodbye to, Guardiola said: “Absolutely. When these types of players – and there are many in the last years that have gone – it’s part of, and I’m talking for myself, part of myself is leaving too,” in a press conference on Friday.

“So it’ll be difficult to imagine without him. I’ve said many times, on and off the pitch, I think he made an incredible statement during nine years and especially has been massively, massively, massively important since starting from Ederson as a keeper, now finishing with Bernardo, there are many, many players that have been what we are.

“Winning and performing incredibly well and mentally and everything. Hopefully we can deliver to him. He’s going to help us, I know that. He’s a special player in that terms. Hopefully we can deliver a good month, few days, because he deserves it, he deserves the best.”

Guardiola wants trophy-laden send off for Bernardo

Manchester City are fighting for a domestic treble and after lifting the Carabao Cup trophy at Wembley in March, the Blues are gunning to go all the way in the FA Cup ahead of a semi-final tie against Southampton – and hijack Arsenal‘s lead at the top of the Premier League.

On sending Silva off with more silverware, Guardiola reflected that his side will do their best to gift their captain the most successful farewell as they look to cut down Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to three points at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

“Yeah, of course. We won, together, 19 titles and we are going to, yeah,” Guardiola added, with Silva set to lead Manchester City into arguably their most important domestic fixture for many seasons.