Bernardo Silva's Man City exit confirmed as summer transfer plan emerges

Bernardo Silva's Man City exit confirmed as summer transfer plan emergesMan City assistant manager Pep Lijnders has spoken about what the future holds for Bernardo Silva as he approaches the end of his contractCommentsSportAmie Wilson Sports writer 22:30, 05 Apr 2026Updated 22:30, 05 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesBernardo Silva is set to leave Manchester City(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of his contract this summer, assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed. It will bring an end to a nine-year stint at the Etihad Stadium.‌Silva confirmed back in October that he had made a decision over his future, but in his eyes it wasn’t the right time for announcements to be made. While there have been no official statements from the club or player, Lijnders' comments have all-but-confirmed that he will be leaving.‌The midfielder wore the captain’s armband and played the full 90 minutes of City’s impressive 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool on Saturday. He will look to help the club past Southampton in the semi-final of the competition later this month.‌Speaking about Silva after the match, Lijnders said: "You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don't exist. Bernardo Silva is unique.READ MORE: FA Cup semi-final draw in full as Man City and Chelsea discover Wembley opponentsREAD MORE: Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool 'gave up' in Man City humiliation in scathing rant"The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions. All these things."You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first XI.‌“And then you hope, with our academy, with the young players we already bought that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions."If you see our young boys in the acad...