Bernardo Silva has confirmed he will remain at Manchester City next season and it looks like he is set to become team captain.
The Portuguese midfielder is entering the final year of his contract and was reportedly open to a move this summer after eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
One of the clubs said to be interested in the 30-year-old was Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, but he decided to reject all offers and stay at City.
His reward could be a bigger role in the first team, with manager Pep Guardiola saying Silva will be part of his group of four key captains for the 2025-26 season.
Silva said: “I will definitely spend this season at Manchester City. I will stay.”
“I had options last year and this year, but like last season, this year I decided to stay at Manchester City.”
At a press conference in Philadelphia ahead of City's opening match in the Club World Cup against Wydad Casablanca, he did not comment on whether this would be his last season in Manchester.
He added: “I know what I'm going to do but now is not the time to talk about it. I'm very focused on my season and doing well for Manchester City. When the time comes I'll talk about it.”
Guardiola broke his own rules and named his own group of leaders this summer.
Previously, the Catalan allowed the squad and technical staff to vote for their captains, but after last season's disappointing performance, he took matters into his own hands.
Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland were the four players Guardiola named on Tuesday.
Silva has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with suggestions that if he is fit and given the opportunity, the former Monaco playmaker could be the team's leader.
“I'm a coach and this season, for the first time in my career, I've decided who my captain will be,” Guardiola said.
“I didn’t like what happened last season and this season I made a decision about who will represent
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
