Man City must break admirable transfer stance to achieve Premier League and European greatness

The rapturous cheers and the emotional appreciation couldn't have been more telling, Manchester City fans are desperate for Bernardo Silva to stay. Is it any wonder?

Bernardo is a remarkable player. All the skill, technical guile and wonderment in his play but equally matched by his boundless energy and selfless work. He is the perfect all-action midfielder, capable of playing pretty much anywhere, of scoring goals, of making them, of running teams ragged and dictating tempo. The engine and the Rolls Royce in one.

But, for reasons outside of football, he wants to leave the club. It's been the case for a while now, last summer he was keen on a move to Spain to be closer to his native Portugal. Those not quite as familiar with City were aghast when the speculation grew of an impending move, 'how can City possibly sell Bernardo? He's brilliant!'

ALSO READ: City fans send clear transfer message to Bernardo Silva he can't ignore

It's not that City wanted to sell him. Pep Guardiola repeatedly went on record on how much he wanted his midfield dynamo to stay. But the club has an admirable, if not risky, policy of allowing players who want to go, to go. The right offer has to come in, of course, and a suitable replacement needs to be in sight, but if those conditions are met then the Blues will not stand in the way of a player who is looking to move on.

Even if it's to Premier League rivals. City allowed Raheem Sterling to join Chelsea and Arsenal to sign both Gabriel Jesus and Aleks Zinchenko this summer, as all three were looking for more game time or to play in their favoured positions elsewhere. They went with the club's blessing and their fees have seen them actually make money in a summer in which they have signed Erling