Pep Guardiola identifies Manchester City star as ideal Bernardo Silva replacement | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that Rico Lewis has the tools to replace Bernardo Silva in midfield should the latter leave the club this summer.

Silva will be out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in the summer and while a firm decision on the 31-year-old’s future is not expected to be made public in the near future, the Manchester City captain has publicly stated that he has made his mind up on plans for next season.

The Portugal international has been one of Guardiola’s most successful signings at the Etihad Stadium, being at the bedrock of Manchester City’s domestic and European success under Guardiola since he joined the club from AS Monaco for £43 million in 2017.

Guardiola appointed Silva as club captain last summer after Kyle Walker left the club on a permanent basis, with Hugo Viana stepping in as director of football to usher in a new era at the Etihad Stadium in the backdrop of a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

However, City are fighting on four fronts this term and after securing their first win of 2026 in a 10-1 rout of Exeter City at the weekend, the Blues will face off against Newcastle United in the opening leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday night.

Rico Lewis was handed a rare start against Exeter on Saturday and the 21-year-old Manchester City academy graduate stood out as he scored his side’s fifth goal and dictated the flow of the game in midfield, reminding Guardiola of his quality after struggling for minutes this season amid Matheus Nunes’ best run of performances since he joined City from Wolves in 2023.

Reflecting on Lewis’ positional prowess at prospects at Manchester City in a press conference on Monday afternoon, Guardiola said: “(He is a) midfield player. He’s not a player to play right-back up and down (the touchline).

“He (Lewis) likes to do it but when opponents allow you to go to pockets, he’s just extraordinary. Extraordinary. Always, he’s free and in the right spot, arriving in the box and has ability to score. Always in the right spot, which isn’t easy to find small spaces.

“When the opponent allows you to do that, he (Lewis) is just extraordinary. Always I have the feeling he should play more. He knows. I’d say it’s weird to say because he didn’t play much lately, but I’m a big admirer of Rico. I’m completed in love for the way he moves and the way I like to play football.”

Lewis attracted interest from Nottingham Forest in the recent summer transfer window but went on to admit that the thought of playing for another club never occurred to him, underlining his loyalty to his boyhood club.

On whether Lewis could replace Silva in midfield should the latter leave Manchester City in the summer, Guardiola added: “They’re the type of player that are so intelligent. They know exactly what’s going on. You can say, ‘You have to play here or there’.

“People move – opponents, balls, mates, referees – everyone moves! And to take decisions constantly, you have to be an intelligent player, and he is!”

It remains to be seen whether Lewis has done enough against Exeter to convince Guardiola to hand the Englishman back-to-back starts, with Guardiola expected to hold Saturday’s Manchester derby in mind when naming his starting XI for the Carabao Cup semi-final opener against Newcastle.