Bernardo Silva reveals he snubbed lucrative Man City transfer exit in summer – but seeks emotional move in future
BERNARDO SILVA weighed up a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer.
But in the end he decided to stay and sign a new deal with Manchester City — as he wants more Champions League glory.
AlamyBernardo Silva admits he considered a Saudi switch over the summer[/caption]
The future of the 29- year-old midfielder was once again in doubt following the Etihad side’s Treble success in June.
Two of his team-mates — Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte — chose to take the riches on offer in the Middle East.
Algerian winger Mahrez headed to Al-Ahli in a £30million transfer move while Spanish defender Laporte moved to Al-Nassr for £23.5m.
But after some soul-searching the Portuguese decided to stay with City and look to help them defend their Euro crown.
Bernardo said: “It would be a lie to say I didn’t think about it.
“But I want to play in the Champions League semi-finals, score against Real Madrid, win the Champions League, I don’t want to give up on that.”
Silva has made no secret of his desire to return to mainland Europe.
During this international break, he also revealed he would love to return to his boyhood club, saying: “I want to return to Benfica. If the club wants me at the time, obviously things will happen.”
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
He made his debut for the Lisbon side when he was 19 years old and went on to win the domestic treble in the 2013-14 season.
But after his year-long loan at Monaco, Silva was forced out of the Portuguese club and sold for £13.7m to the French giants in 2015.
In 2017 Silva headed for the Premier League and signed a £43.5m deal with Manchester City.
TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and confirmed switches from the world of football
