Manchester City midfielder gives Galatasaray green light as club bosses progress rebuild | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva has given encouragement to Turkish side Galatasaray in their attempts to sign the Manchester City midfielder in the summer, as per a new report.

Silva is entering the final 12 months of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium and has been linked with a possible departure ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, with Kevin De Bruyne leaving Manchester City ahead of an expected transfer to Napoli.

Pep Guardiola signed Silva from AS Monaco in 2017 and has deployed the Portugal international across his attack and midfield over the years, with Silva proving an indispensable cog in the Manchester City machine that has proved so successful over the years.

A six-time Premier League winner, Silva has long held a desire to move closer to his homeland in Portugal amid interest from Spain, with Barcelona keen to add the 30-year-old to their ranks since 2020 but unable to do so owing to their dire financial constraints.

Guardiola once famously said during the 2018-19 campaign – when Manchester City won a domestic quadruple – that Silva would remain with him throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium, with the Catalan manager signing a new two-year deal in November 2024 that will keep him at the club till the summer of 2027.

However, after a disappointing season that saw Manchester City fail to challenge for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles whilst losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, a big summer rebuild lies ahead as well as harsh decisions on the futures of players who have been instrumental to Guardiola over the years.

Silva, 30, represents the best of Guardiola’s time at Manchester City and the Portuguese’s future has once again come under question as incoming sporting director Hugo Viana conducts an audit of the current squad ahead of the beginning of the summer transfer window.

As per a new report by Milliyet, whose information has been relayed by Sport Witness, Silva has given encouragement to Turkish side Galatasaray in their initial overtures to sign the Manchester City midfielder this summer.

Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has tasked Italian agent George Gardi with the job of brokering a deal with Manchester City for Silva, who has given a go-ahead to join the club after holding direct talks with the club over a summer move.

Silva is understood to have scheduled talks over his future with the Manchester City board in the near future and there is a belief in England that after years of failure in trying to leave, this summer represents the best time for all parties to part ways and for City to get a transfer fee for a player entering the final year of his contract.