Manchester City report: Pep Guardiola primed to lose star playmaker to Real Madrid
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is bracing himself to lose a key midfielder to Spanish giants Real Madrid
Pep Guardiola is resigned to losing star playmaker Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid this summer, as Los Blancos look to overhaul their ageing squad.
That is according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, who believe Silva is more than open to the idea of moving to the Spanish capital. It is felt Silva has long dreamt of a move to the reigning La Liga champions, and would jump at the chance to move to Spain.
Silva is a key player for Manchester City, having helped the Citizens to three Premier League crowns, four EFL Cups and an FA Cup since signing from Monaco in July 2017. Guardiola has frequently praised the 27-year-old for his tenacity and work rate as well as his attacking output, and would be remiss to see one of his star performers leave the club to a European rival.
Yet the allure of playing for Real Madrid, as well as the promise of a more central role in their team – Silva often plays second fiddle to Kevin De Bruyne at City – could prove too tempting for the Portuguese player.
That being said, Silva has another three years left to run on the contract extension he signed at City in 2019 and would not come cheap. Yet if the player pushed for the move it is believed he could be available for around £65m.
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Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
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