Bernardo Silva targets new club after Manchester City exit – Hugo Viana identifies replacement | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva is increasingly likely to leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, as per a new report.

The 31-year-old produced an all-time great performance to spearhead a thrilling Manchester City comeback win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday evening, sealing a first Premier League double for the Blues over the reigning English top-flight champions since 1937.

Silva scored in the 82nd minute to level proceedings in Merseyside before Erling Haaland converted a 90+2′ minute penalty to help Manchester City stay in the title race and remain on Arsenal’s heels amid growing doubt over whether Pep Guardiola’s men have it in them to hunt the Gunners down once again.

City remain in the running to win silverware on four fronts in the second half of the campaign and club bosses will be closely monitoring individual performances in the first-team ranks to outline plans for the summer transfer window, having strengthened Guardiola’s options in January with the shrewd acquisitions of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.

The jury remains out on whether Manchester City can build on their recent purple patch and capitalise on Sunday’s monumental result at Anfield to put a winning run together, with Guardiola’s side also playing Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on March 22.

Guardiola will know all too well the importance of having his best players fit and firing in the season run-in, showering praise on captain Silva for leading Manchester City to arguably their most important Premier League win of the season against Arne Slot’s men.

Silva is expected to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, with no indication as yet of contract renewal talks between club bosses and the Portugal international, who has been one of Guardiola’s best signings since his arrival from AS Monaco for £43 million in 2017.

The midfielder’s leadership has particularly come in clutch as a new-look Manchester City dressing room remain at a nascent stage of their rebuild under director of football Hugo Viana, who has made sweeping changes to the first-team ranks since his appointment last summer.

Manchester City fans will be desperate for their skipper to stay and pen a new deal, having bid farewell to one senior player too many in the last year as a result of club bosses rebuilding Guardiola’s squad to be able to compete for major trophies in the seasons to come.

Silva has gone so far as admitting a few times publicly that he has made his mind up over his club future, with little hope amongst the fanbase as things stand that the playmaker will renew his contract.

According to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo‘ on X, Benfica remains Silva’s intended destination on a free transfer at the end of the ongoing campaign and the culmination of his Etihad Stadium contract.

It is explained that the Portugal international is not expecting Manchester City to make a u-turn on his future after recent talks, and those in recruitment positions plan to sign Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.