Bernardo Silva has confirmed he will leave Manchester City in May, with the captain saying he cherishes the legacy he has helped build in nine years at the club, winning the 2022-23 treble and a record four consecutive league titles.
Silva joined City from Monaco in July 2017 for £43.5m and has been a key member of the generational success of Pep Guardiola’s team, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League and a Fifa Club World Cup. Including the Community Shield and Uefa Super Cup, the Portuguese has 19 honours with City.
His 451 appearances are the most by any player under Guardiola, who made him captain this season. He has scored 76 goals and made 77 assists.
Silva, 31, said: “When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things. This city and this club gave me much more than that. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart. The centurions [the 100-point title-winners of 2017-18], the domestic quadruple, the treble, the four in a row and much more – it wasn’t that bad.
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“To the fans, your unconditional support throughout the years is something that I will never forget. My main goal as a player was to always play with passion so you guys could feel proud and well represented on the pitch. 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.
“To the club, Pep, the staff and all my teammates these nine years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long. The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”
Silva will be given an official farewell, the club said.