Given Barcelona’s interest in the midfielder, Bernardo Silva’s future with Manchester City appears to be in doubt.
If this is our final wave, it was a beautiful one.
Although Bernardo Silva’s future at Manchester City is becoming less certain, the team’s fans did everything they could to show him how much they care. During Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Bournemouth, Bernardo received a thunderous welcome when he entered the game. One that persisted for several minutes and only got worse whenever he went to the stands to get a drink or take a corner.
When the game was over, the Portuguese stayed on the field, gave his shirt to a young fan, and cheered from every section of the stadium. It’s difficult to avoid thinking that such heartfelt scenes were a final goodbye in case he decides not to pursue
Bernardo wanted to leave last summer and that feeling appears to remain this year, despite enjoying such a remarkable season, as he wants to be nearer to his native Portugal. Barcelona is heavily interested in signing the midfielder as they look to splash the cash and rebuild their side despite their well-documented financial troubles.
Despite the scenes on Saturday, the Catalonians are yet to make a bid, and Bernardo’s teammates do expect him to remain at the Etihad this season. But, if he does depart, City will certainly need to find a replacement or risk going into the rest of the season light on options with just 19 senior players.
Finding a player capable of filling Bernardo’s shoes in a final couple of weeks of the window would be no easy task, especially when one player who is of a similar profile looks to be heading to Nottingham Forest. The Premier League new boys have approached the transfer window with the enthusiasm as a lottery winner in a yacht shop and gone big. They have signed a massive 15 players already this summer and are not done there.
In what would be the transfer shock of the window, Forest is now trying to add Houssem Aouar to their ever-expanding ranks. Reports over the weekend, stemming from Sky Italia, have said that Forest is closing in on the Frenchman after his move to Real Betis collapsed.
Aouar has long been linked with a Premier League switch but it’s the likes of City and Arsenal that have been touted with a move, not a side set for a fight for survival. The 24-year-old has been one of Ligue 1’s best players for years now, making over 200 appearances for Lyon – with 40 goals and 35 assists to his name – and has had several great displays in the Champions League.
The Blues have experienced first-hand just how good Aouar is as he has come up against them three times and not lost once. The Frenchman played a key part in the 2-1 win and 2-2 draw against City in the group stages in 2018 and then grabbed two assists when Lyon shockingly dumped Guardiola’s side out in the quarter-finals in 2020.
Guardiola has been a big fan of Aouar for a while and praised him heavily back in 2018. He said: “Houssem Aouar is a very good player, he is incredible,” he told reporters after the match.
“We talk a lot about Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with excellent technical quality. Lyon really has a very good team. There are young people full of quality and I think the team is in place tactically.”
Aouar would be more qualified than most to attempt to replace what Bernardo brings to City, even though it would be difficult for anyone to do so. He has a lot of energy in the middle and is also graceful on the ball with a good eye for a pass. Importantly, he is a very adaptable player who can play on either flank or anywhere in midfield.
It can’t happen often that City is advised to pounce and sign a player before Nottingham Forest, but if Bernardo leaves, it might be a wise move to do so.
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