Arsenal transfer news: Major Bernardo Silva update emerges after shock 'sounding out'

Manchester City legend Bernardo Silva apparently has 'no plans' to stay in the Premier League amid reports of interest from Arsenal.

The Portugal international will finally bring the curtain down on nine sensational years at Man City when his contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Silva may be in the second half of his career, but the 31-year-old remains an integral part of Pep Guardiola's setup, producing three goals and five assists in 47 games this season.

Silva has sported the captain's armband for Man City this season following the departures of Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, and he could very well lift three trophies as Sky Blues skipper in the coming weeks.

Guardiola's side have already beaten Arsenal in the EFL Cup final, are three points behind the Gunners in the Premier League table with a game in hand and will face Chelsea in next month's FA Cup final.

Arsenal-linked Bernardo Silva has 'no plans' to stay in Premier League

Despite the needle between Arsenal and Man City, it was recently claimed that the Gunners had been 'sounded out' over a shock move for Silva as a free agent this summer.

The Portuguese playmaker briefly worked under Arteta when the Spaniard was Guardiola's right-hand man, but according to Football Insider, the chances of an Etihad-Emirates switch are miniscule.

The report claims that Silva has 'no plans' to continue his career in England and is scoping out a new challenge somewhere else in Europe, most likely in La Liga or Serie A.

The former Monaco man has supposedly been offered to Real Madrid, while Barcelona and Juventus are also expected to compete for his signature when he becomes unattached.

A Champions League winner and six-time Premier League champion, Silva has registered 76 goals and 77 assists in 454 games for Man City in all tournaments and has claimed a whopping 19 titles.

No Man City player has won more major honours with the Citizens than Silva, whose 19 team accolades is level with De Bruyne and current teammates Phil Foden and John Stones.

Why Arsenal do not need to sign Bernardo Silva

Silva may still have a few years left in him at the top level, but Arsenal should be aiming to reduce the average age of their midfield ranks, not increase it.

Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Christian Norgaard are either all in, past or approaching their prime, leaving Ethan Nwaneri as the only juvenile Gunners midfielder.

Even then, the Marseille loanee is incredibly attack-minded, and Andrea Berta's main focus should therefore be on targeting up-and-coming number sixes or number eights who could shadow the likes of Zubimendi and Rice.

Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi and Paris Saint-Germain's Senny Mayulu fit the bill in that regard, but Arsenal lost out on the signature of Rodrigo Mendoza to Atletico Madrid.