Guardiola reveals player Man City are ‘scared’ of losing - and it’s not Haaland!
Robin Bairner
- 30 Oct 2023 07:37 GMT
- 3 min read
The prospect of losing Bernardo Silva during the summer transfer window was something that “scared” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, he has admitted.
The 29-year-old was courted by both Barcelona and PSG over the summer months, yet he remains at the Etihad Stadium, where he is continuing to play to a high standard.
That was underlined as he turned in a classy display against Man Utd on Sunday as the Cityzens claimed a 3-0 win at Old Trafford to move third in the Premier League table.
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“We were scared to lose Bernardo Silva in the summer,” he admitted to Sky Sports.
“He is irreplaceable. I could take 10 minutes talking about what Bernardo means for me and for us. We love him.
“Everybody loves him in the locker room.”
Premier League table: Man City close in on leaders Tottenham
The Portugal international has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €81 million and is likely to be the subject of more transfer rumours in the months ahead.
Pep's Bernardo fears over?
Silva has long been a dream signing for Barcelona, although City should be protected from losing the attacking midfielder to the Spanish side because of their difficult financial position. Furthermore, the player is under contract until 2026, so they are under little pressure to sell.
PSG are another side often linked with Bernardo Silva, in part because of Kylian Mbappe’s admiration for the player following their time together at Monaco.
With Mbappe’s future at the club – as well as that of sporting director Luis Campos, who is another ally of Silva – under question, the strength of PSG’s challenge to sign the attacker is weakened.
Furthermore, the Parc des Princes side are well stocked offensively, with Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Kang-in Lee, Xavi Simons and Marco Asensio all joining Luis Enrique’s team last summer.
Bernardo Silva is, therefore, likely to stay with Man City for the foreseeable future.
