Bernardo Silva comments fuel transfer speculation amid Juventus interest
Juventus target Bernardo Silva hints at a possible summer exit, saying that Manchester is ‘not 100 per cent what I would ideally want in my life,’ but also admits: ‘If Manchester City were in Lisbon, I would stay until I’m 40.’
Bernardo Silva’s contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the season, and according to Italian sources, Juventus are determined to make a move to sign the Portuguese star as a free agent this summer.
During an interview with the official Manchester City Podcast, the 31-year-old spoke about his life on and off the pitch in Manchester, leaving the door open for a possible summer exit.
“I have two sides of my life; I have the football side of my life, the professional side of my life, and then my life at home, where my wife and my daughter right now are really, really important to me,” Silva said as quoted by City Xtra.
“So, I definitely need a balance and to understand throughout my life, I always make decisions together with my wife, what was best for our family. Culturally, Portuguese and English are quite different; the weather is very different, the food is very different, the way of living is not very different but a bit different.
“I always joke and say that if Manchester City was located a bit more (in the) south of Europe, I would stay here until people kicked my ass out of the club,” he continued.
“Because I truly love the football club, I love my teammates, I love the staff, I love the fans, I love the (Etihad) stadium, I love the atmosphere, I love everything about my professional life.
“Then, the other side of my life, it’s different because I’m not saying that I don’t like, but culturally it’s not 100 per cent what I would ideally want in my life.”
Juventus and Benfica both interested in Bernardo Silva
Silva’s latest comments have been widely reported on Italian media, suggesting that the midfielder’s exit at the end of the season seems very likely.
On the one hand, it’s good news for Juventus, but on the other hand, Benfica are also said to be interested in the Portuguese star, and a return to his native country surely appeals to the Manchester City captain.
“Before I met my wife, I was alone in Manchester for a while, and I didn’t feel that well about myself,” Bernardo Silva continued.
“And I definitely thought a lot about leaving, not because I didn’t like the football club – which I really love – but because of the other side of my life. And at the end, it didn’t happen.
“I’m really happy that it didn’t! I’m really happy because I would’ve probably lost the opportunity to live the memories of the treble, the four-in-a-row, even now, these memories, this opportunity of being a captain, being in the leadership group and passing all this experience on to the young guys, and trying to put the club back it deserves to be.
“But if Manchester City were in Lisbon, I would stay until I’m 40.”