Manchester City could see a chain reaction of developments within their existing squad if they complete the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. Bernardo Silva could be the first player to fall by the wayside in order to make room for the 25-year-old man, who is expected to complete a £100million move imminently.
Bernardo signed for Man City in 2017 (Image: GETTY)
With both skillsets in his locker, he would be a direct threat to someone like Bernardo, who has also featured across both positions in recent seasons.
A report from the Athletic indicates that Pep Guardiola sees Grealish as a prime candidate to enter City’s centre-midfield rotation, in competition with Ilkay Gundogan.
The same report also states that Bernardo could be a transfer casualty as a result, a departure which would both make room for Grealish and offset the mammoth investment the club are about to make.
It is claimed that City are expecting Silva to leave this summer. Although no decisive approaches have been made for the Portuguese just yet, his abundant technical ability has made him a household name in the Premier League.
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In the injured Kevin De Bruyne’s absence during the 2018/19 season, Bernardo was instrumental in City’s title win, scooping up their player of the season award in the process.
Last season, he resorted to being a peripheral figure, seemingly in Guardiola’s mind more as a rotational option than a big-game starter.
Despite this, having shelled out £43m to sign him from Monaco in 2017, the player has surely shown enough to command a similar transfer fee, if not higher.
At just 26-years-old, he still has years upon years to give at the top level, while his first touch is undoubtedly one of the best in world football.
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Jack Grealish came through the youth ranks at Aston Villa (Image: GETTY)
The fact that City could only offer him limited minutes last season tells its own story about their wealth of attacking options, while his game time would only decrease further after Grealish’s arrival.
With a big-money signing on the horizon, Guardiola appears to be ruthlessly pursuing his lofty aspirations as City boss – Bernardo may well become the latest victim.