Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva to leave club for free at the end of the season

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva will leave the club at ​the end of the season, assistant manager ‌Pep Lijnders confirmed on Sunday.

The 31-year-old ​Portugal international, who has won ⁠six Premier League titles and the Champions League during a nine-year spell at the ‌Etihad Stadium, will depart as a free agent when his contract ‌expires after the campaign concludes.

“Every ‌good ⁠story comes to an end,” ⁠Lijnders told reporters after City’s 4-0 FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Liverpool. “I hope he enjoys the ​last months – there ‌are only six weeks left – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention.”

Pep Guardiola, who was ‌serving a touchline suspension during the ​match, has previously described Silva as “irreplaceable”.

Silva joined City from AS Monaco ⁠in 2017 for a reported fee of about 43.5 million pounds (USD 57.35 million) and ‌has since made 450 appearances for the club.

Known for his tactical versatility, superb technique and tireless work rate, the midfielder has been a cornerstone of City’s side under Guardiola.

After ‌winning the League Cup last month, City remain ​in contention for a domestic treble as the 2025-26 campaign ⁠enters its final weeks, despite trailing Premier ⁠League leader Arsenal by nine points.

The Manchester club has a ‌game in hand and eight matches remaining to bridge the deficit.

(with inputs from Reuters)

Published on Apr 06, 2026