Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City when his contract ends at the close of the season.
The Portugal midfielder joined from Monaco in 2017. Since then, he has played 451 matches. He scored 76 goals and made 77 assists.
He won 15 major trophies with the club. His latest came last month in the Carabao Cup. He was also part of the Treble-winning team in the 2022-23 season.
Silva played a key role in many title wins. He helped the team win the league with 100 points in 2017-18. He was part of the domestic clean sweep in 2018-19. He also helped City win four straight league titles from 2021 to 2024.
“What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart,” he said on Instagram. “The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the four in a row and much more. It wasn’t that bad.”
Silva is now among the top names in the club’s history. He is joint eighth in the all time appearance list with Mike Summerbee.
He became captain after Kevin De Bruyne left the role last season. In eight seasons, he has won six league titles.
City are now second in the league. They will face Southampton in the FA Cup semi final on 25 April.
“My main goal as a player was to always play with passion so you guys (the fans) could feel proud and well represented on the pitch,” Silva said. “I hope you felt that every single game. I arrived as a Man City player, I leave as one more of you, a Man City supporter for life. Keep supporting this young team and I’m pretty sure they will bring you a lot of new fantastic memories in the future. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”
Silva worked closely with Pep Guardiola during his time at the club. He became one of the manager’s most trusted players on the field.
He started as an attacking midfielder but later played deeper roles. He was known for his hard work and control in midfield.
Even without the same numbers as De Bruyne, Silva stayed key to the team. He led the side to the Carabao Cup win over Arsenal this year and lifted another trophy at Wembley.
His departure marks the end of a long and successful spell at City. He will now aim to finish the season strong before moving on.
