‘He’s too important’ – Transfer insider addresses Man City exit links involving £43m star

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola won’t ‘allow’ Bernardo Silva to leave the club in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Despite many murmurs in the summer, the 28-year-old remained at the Etihad and has played a pivotal role in keeping Manchester City relevant in the title race.

Silva has been involved in every game in the Premier League so far. And alongside Kevin De Bruyne, he is one of Pep Guardiola’s trusted lieutenants whom he trusts blindly.

The Benfica academy product arrived in England in 2017 after completing a £43 million deal. And except in the defensive setup, Silva has been deployed all over the place proving his versatility from time to time.

SPORT reportedly recently that Barcelona are looking to make a number of signings in January, and that manager Xavi Hernandez sees Silva as an important part of his long-term project at the Camp Nou.

The surprise retirement of Gerard Pique is said to have freed up funds for Barca, opening up the possibility of an imminent move for Silva.

Silva was firmly on the radar of Barca throughout the previous transfer window, but the reigning English champions are expected to block the Portuguese playmaker’s move.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that whilst Guardiola will never stop a player from leaving, he believes that Silva is too integral a member of City’s squad for him to let go.

The journalist said: “We know that Man City are open-minded about letting players move on when they don’t want to be at the club anymore and Pep Guardiola doesn’t typically stand in people’s way.

“I don’t think that he’s going to allow Bernardo to leave halfway through a season, though. He’s played too many games, he’s too important to them, and the second half of the season is going to be about really getting through matches.”

Silva has registered 50 goals and 56 assists in 273 appearances for City, claiming four Premier League titles, one FA Cup crown and four League Cups along the way.