Pep Guardiola has already given his verdict on Bernardo Silva leaving Man City

Bernardo Silva could be the highest-profile player to leave Manchester City this summer.

It’s understood the Portugal international, who collected a sixth Premier League winner’s medal two weeks ago, would be keen to move on ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Silva signed a new contract with City last year that runs to 2026, but it’s been reported that a £50m release clause was included in the deal, which begins this summer. Even if that fee isn’t met, Pep Guardiola’s previous comments suggest an exit is possible.

This is the fourth summer in a row that speculation has surrounded Silva’s future and the City manager has always been clear in his stance: if the money is right and the player wants to go, Guardiola and the club won’t stand in his way.

“I want players to be happy here, to be here and try and to do it together. Of course I would love Bernardo to stay here, he is a special player for us,” the Catalan said in August 2022. 

“If he stays it is perfect. If in the end he has to leave, football is like this. If the clubs are in agreement and the player has desires, I would not be the person to stop the desire of the people.

“When you are a football player it is so short, you do not realise it. I don’t want to [stop] the desire of the players. But I am just a small part of the club.”

It’s a similar stance to Guardiola’s comments last summer when asked about Barcelona’s interest in Silva, although he again referenced how highly he rates the 29-year-old. “If they want him, they will take a plane and come here and talk to our sporting director and CEO to make an agreement because three parts to be there.

“Some players feel they want a new experience. I will not be the guy who says no - but they have to make an agreement with the important part of the club, the business. Make a deal and it happens.

“To lose Kyle [Walker] and Bernardo would be so difficult, that is why we are going to do everything to keep them,” he added.

It’s not just Silva that Guardiola has demonstrated this approach with. Last year City allowed Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte and Cole Palmer to depart, along with Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko the previous summer.

In fact, Guardiola said something similar when asked about Omar Berrada’s defection to Manchester United to take up a role as CEO. 

“Why not? If a person is unhappy here and want to go to United and there’s a deal for the right price then why not? No problem,” he said in January. “If Omar is not happy here and wants to go there he has to go.  What can we do? There is nothing wrong with that. 

“In the clubs this situation happens. If we want a player from them, United have to agree to sell, and he wants to come and they agree a transfer, why should we not do it?”