Man City midfielder likely to stay put at The Etihad

Premier League champions Manchester City face Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on Saturday evening. 

The Citizens have had a poor pre-season campaign so far this summer, losing to both Celtic and AC Milan before being defeated on penalties by Barcelona after a 2-2 draw last time out.

Manager Pep Guardiola will be desperate to ensure his side improve before the start of the new campaign, with his side bidding to become the first team in history to win five consecutive English top flight titles.

When City face the Blues, Guardiola will be up against his former assistant, Enzo Maresca, who took charge of Chelsea earlier this summer following Mauricio Pochettino’s departure.

The two sides also meet on the opening weekend of the new season.

In the meantime, it appears that one of City’s most important players is set to stay put at the club despite being linked with a move elsewhere.

Silva is set to stay put at Manchester City beyond this summer

As per Football Insider, Portugal international Bernardo Silva is set to stay put at The Etihad beyond the end of the current transfer window.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed huge success since joining City from French side Monaco in 2017, but he has been repeatedly linked with a move away from England during each of the past two summer transfer windows.

Despite rumoured interest from teams in France and Spain, the report suggests that the midfielder is now unlikely to depart.

In total, Silva has scored 66 goals and registered the same number of assists for City during his seven years with the club.

He has also lifted no fewer than 16 trophies during his time in Manchester, including the Champions League and six Premier League titles.

Last summer, the Portuguese signed a new three-year contract with City, and the report suggests that he has had reassurances from Guardiola about his role within his squad.