Manchester City have built an empire under Pep Guardiola, an empire that has conquered England again and again, and lifted the Champions League to complete the dream. But every empire faces moments when it feels fragile, when the foundations look like they might shake under the weight of departures and change. That is the situation at the Etihad right now. This summer was one of the most turbulent in Guardiola’s reign. Legends and leaders walked away. Kevin De Bruyne, the magician who shaped City’s dominance for nearly a decade, is gone. Ilkay Gundogan, captain and midfield brain, left before him. Jack Grealish, the £100 million man, has packed his bags too. The once untouchable dressing room now feels like a place of transition. And yet, amid all this uncertainty, one name continues to emerge as the heartbeat Pep does not want to lose: Bernardo Silva.
For months, the story around Bernardo Silva was one of departure. The Portuguese midfielder has long flirted with the idea of a return to Benfica, the club where his football soul was first nurtured. Barcelona have admired him too, Paris Saint-Germain have asked, and offers have come and gone. His current deal expires in June, and whispers from Lisbon suggested that a contract was already waiting for him back home. Many believed this season would be his farewell lap at City, a graceful goodbye after years of brilliance.
But football is unpredictable. On Monday, a report from Football Insider shifted the entire narrative. Instead of preparing to wave goodbye, City are preparing to sit down with Silva and convince him to stay beyond the end of the season. A U-turn, a twist, a change of heart – call it what you will. Pep Guardiola, who once looked ready to rebuild without him, has realised he cannot afford to lose the man who keeps his midfield alive.
Keith Wyness, former Everton CEO and a man who has worked at the top level of football, spoke on Football Insider’s podcast about why Silva’s extension now feels essential. “I think Pep’s realised that he does need that thread of experience,” Wyness said. “It’s very early in the season, but I do think Silva is going to end up staying for next season as well. He’s a strong character and a good personality. I think Pep wants to keep some things the same, you know, rather than keeping on refreshing all the time. He knows he’s got to keep that core, and I think Silva is that core for Pep.”
The word core is key here. Bernardo Silva is not just another player in Guardiola’s system. He is the rhythm. Since arriving from Monaco in 2017, he has played over 400 games, scored important goals, created countless moments, and carried the weight of big occasions. He has been the lungs of City’s pressing game, the mind in their intricate passing, and the heart in their hardest battles. When Guardiola needed calm, he trusted Bernardo. When he needed chaos controlled, he trusted Bernardo. When he needed someone to run himself into the ground for the team, Bernardo always did it. Eight years on, at 31, he is still that player – and Pep knows letting him leave now, after so much change, would be like tearing out the last string holding the machine together.
This is not the first time City have faced such a dilemma. Guardiola has always believed in evolution. He allowed Yaya Touré, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Vincent Kompany, and Gundogan to move on when he felt the timing was right. His courage to refresh the squad kept City hungry and unstoppable. But Bernardo Silva feels different. He is not slowing down, he is not losing intensity, and he is not only valuable on the pitch but in the dressing room. His personality keeps balance in a group that is now full of new faces trying to find their place. With De Bruyne and Gundogan gone, Silva’s voice matters more than ever.
For City fans, the thought of losing him at the same time as other icons has been terrifying. The midfield, once the most secure unit in Europe, could suddenly look fragile. Young players like Phil Foden and new signings like Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are exciting, but they are not yet ready to carry the entire burden of leadership. Pep Guardiola knows that without Silva, he would risk throwing too much responsibility too quickly onto those players. With Silva, there is balance, there is continuity, there is security.
What makes this saga more dramatic is the presence of other storylines in Manchester City’s summer. Jack Grealish’s exit to Everton, initially on loan, has already changed the face of City’s squad. Everton now want to make it permanent, but there is a battle over the price. The deal included a £50 million option to buy, but the Toffees cannot afford that figure. Mick Brown, former chief scout at Manchester United and Blackburn, has already claimed David Moyes’ side will push for a cut-price fee. Grealish is even prepared to take a pay cut to make the move happen. That sort of determination shows how far things have shifted – and how quickly City’s squad is changing.
All of this points to a bigger truth: Guardiola needs stability somewhere. He cannot lose De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, and Silva in the same cycle. That would be too much. Even for a genius like Pep, there are limits to how much change a team can absorb while staying at the top. Keeping Silva would be the anchor in the storm.
But will Bernardo Silva stay? That is the question that now burns in every City supporter’s mind. The romance of a return to Benfica is strong. The lure of home, the chance to play where it all began, the dream of leading his boyhood club again – it all tugs at the heart. Yet the reality is that Silva is still performing at the very top level, competing for the biggest prizes, and loved by a manager who still sees him as vital. City can offer him the stage, the trophies, the glory, and the challenge. Benfica cannot match that.
Pep Guardiola, for all his tactical brilliance, is also a master at persuasion. He knows how to convince players to buy into his vision, to stay another year, to give everything once more. He did it with players before, and he may do it again with Silva. A new contract would not only keep City strong, it would send a message to the rest of Europe: this club is not crumbling, this empire is not fading, this team is still Guardiola’s army, and they will fight for every trophy.
For Bernardo Silva, the decision will be one of legacy. Does he end his time at City now, remembered as one of the greatest midfielders in their history but choosing to walk away while still on top? Or does he stay, write more chapters, and ensure his name is etched alongside Kompany, Agüero, and David Silva as the eternal greats of this golden era?
The answer will come in the months ahead. For now, City fans will hold their breath, Guardiola will plan, and Silva will keep playing like the professional he has always been. But the story has changed. What once looked like a farewell now looks like a new beginning. Manchester City are ready to make a U-turn. Guardiola needs him. The club needs him. And perhaps, deep down, Bernardo Silva knows he still needs Manchester City too
