Bernardo Silva admits Manchester City’s old guard ‘have a lot to give’ despite summer rebuild plans | OneFootball

Manchester City’s more experienced and older members of their first-team squad could be subject to scrutiny during the upcoming off-season and summer transfer market.

The four-in-a-row Premier League champions are expected to be busy in the upcoming summer transfer window, building upon the top-level investment that was signed off during the January market earlier this year.

As Manchester City looked to contain the worsening run of form that largely halted pursuits of the Premier League and Champions League titles, a spend in excess of £170 million saw four new stars come into defence, midfield, and attack.

In came Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in central defence, while Nico Gonzalez took up a role in central midfield, with Omar Marmoush becoming the star signing to strengthen attack and add much-needed goals in light of Julian Alvarez’s exit from the club last summer.

But this summer could bring about a fresh challenge for Pep Guardiola after all of his successes at the club, as he looks to prepare the side for perhaps life without him and strengthen the squad following a difficult season.

Speaking during a recent interview with ITV Sport, Bernardo Silva spoke at length around Guardiola and what he has noticed about Manchester City’s greatest-ever manager during a season of various hurdles and challenges.

“Well I’ve seen a different side of almost all of us, because we’re not used to the situation that we are in, and we trust in ourselves,” the experienced Portugal international admitted.

“I know that the expectations are very high every season for Man City to win; we won six (Premier League titles) in eight (seasons) – it’s still not very bad, I would say.

“So we count a lot on ourselves to turn the situation around, the manager, the players, and all the staff, and I’m pretty sure that we will be back next season.”

And ahead of a huge summer transfer window that is expected to bring about plenty of change within City’s first-team squad, both in the way of arrivals and departures, Bernardo Silva stressed his belief that some of the more ageing squad members still have a lot left in the tank.

“After a bad season it’s always easy to overthink, but I would say rebuilding sometimes is part of it and it’s happened in the past when players like for example Vincent (Kompany), Yaya (Toure), Fernandinho, or David (Silva) or (Sergio) Kun Aguero left, and it will have to happen with this next generation as well,” he said.

“Hopefully the young guys can keep performing at the same level that we did in the past. For now, let’s just say that I still think that we have a lot still to give, I would say, that’s my feeling. Maybe I’m wrong. Next season will tell.”

Bernardo Silva himself has been linked with various moves away from the Etihad Stadium over the last few weeks, with the idea of an emotional return to Benfica mooted by Portuguese press as well as the possibility of a switch to Barcelona or even Saudi Arabia.

At present, there is no indication of the 30-year-old seeking a way out of Manchester City this summer and he remains firmly in the plans of Pep Guardiola at this stage, as he has been throughout the Catalan’s tenure at the club.