Bernardo Silva sets strict deadline for resolution of Manchester City future as transfer eyed | OneFootball

Manchester City are being expected to resolve the future of Bernardo Silva by the player himself, just four weeks before the start of the new season, according to reports.

The upcoming summer transfer window is expected to become the fourth successive market that will see Bernardo Silva target an exit from the Etihad Stadium, having fallen unhappy with the culture on offer in the north-west of England.

With a keen eye on moving closer to his native Portugal, alongside a desire for warmer climates, Bernardo Silva and his representatives are likely to scour the market for clubs interested in triggering his Manchester City release clause.

That desire is likely to bring FC Barcelona to the table once again, however the Catalan giants are under heavy financial restrictions and would almost certainly need to sell a high-profile first-team player in order to finance a move for the Etihad man.

In a further attempt to speed up the exit process from Pep Guardiola’s side, Bernardo Silva has now reportedly set out a clear deadline by which he would like his future resolved for another calendar year.

That is according to the information of the Mirror’s David McDonnell, who reports that Bernardo Silva wants his City future resolved by the end of the 2024 European Championships, at which the Portugal international midfielder will be featuring.

It is further made clear that the 29-year-old’s contract – which was renewed and extended during the last summer transfer window – now contains a £50 million release clause that can be activated from this summer.

Silva has made it very clear that a return to his boyhood SL Benfica is being targeted, but not at a time when he is arguably at the peak of his powers, telling the media in November, “I want to return to Benfica (in future). If the club wants me at the time, obviously things will happen.”

Despite a clear desire to leave the football club, Bernardo Silva has remained committed to the Manchester City cause this season, being called upon consistently by his manager and fulfilling a number of roles in the operation.

Across 45 appearances in all competitions so far this campaign, with four matches remaining, Bernardo Silva has scored 11 goals and provided a further six assists, including an FA Cup semi-final winning goal against Chelsea last month.