Bernardo Silva announces Manchester City departure as free agent in official statement

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has confirmed that he will be leaving the club at the end of his current deal in June.

The 31-year-old has been linked with a departure from the Etihad Stadium for a large part of the season, having donned the Manchester City skipper’s armband since the Blues bid farewell to Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne last summer.

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Silva joined Manchester City from AS Monaco for £43 million in 2017 and has established his status as one of the club’s all-time greats, having made the most appearances a player has ever amassed under Guardiola throughout the Catalan’s managerial career.

A six-time Premier League winner, the Portugal international lifted his first piece of silverware as Manchester City captain in March as the Blues beat Premier League leaders Arsenal – whom they face this Sunday – in the Carabao Cup final.

Manchester City assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders confirmed in a recent press conference that Silva is into his final few weeks at the Etihad Stadium – and the Benfica academy graduate has finally confirmed that he will be starting a new chapter next season.

Announcing his departure on his social media platforms, Silva said:

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“Cityzens,

When I arrived 9 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, much more than I ever hoped for. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart. The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the Four In A Row and much more. It wasn’t that bad 😉

In a few months, it’s time to say goodbye to the city where not only we won so much as a football club, but also where I started my marriage and my family. From the bottom of my heart, Ines and Carlota, thank you!

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 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.

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To the club, Pep, the staff and all my teammates these 9 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 together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.

Love you all,

Bernardo.”

This is a developing story. More to follow.