‘I want to return’ - Bernardo Silva makes honest admission on Man City future

Bernardo Silva says he envisages a return to Benfica later in his career but says the move would currently be “impossible” due to the price tag Manchester City would set.

The midfielder has been linked with Barcelona in recent summers but penned a one-year contract extension in August that keeps him at the Etihad until 2026. Silva came through the ranks at Benfica before his move to Monaco, from whom City bought him in 2017.

He has always held the door open for a return to his boyhood club but says he cannot see that happening while he is still under contract at City. Portuguese clubs have not been able to compete with the top five European leagues when it comes to transfer fees.

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For comparison, Liga NOS clubs spent a combined total of £168million on transfers over the summer compared to the Premier League’s £2.36billion. Silva, who has been brilliant for City this season, says the valuation placed on him by his club would price Benfica out of a pursuit.

“I’ve never hidden the fact that one day I want to return [to Benfica], so of course I do,” he told A Bola. “Now, we’ll see over time what’s possible and there’s no point in talking about it all the time, because people get tired of it. We’ll see.

“But since I get asked this question so often, I’m not going to lie. I always say: it’s a reality that I want to return to and I hope that one day it can happen.

“They can, but there are contractual issues that have to be respected and you have to live with the reality that Portuguese football financially can’t compete with English, Spanish or even German and French clubs.

“For example,