Man City news: 'They must regret it' - Bernardo Silva reveals failed bid to bring compatriot

Bernardo Silva ended his successful spell at Manchester City last week, when he took to the pitch for the final time in a Sky Blues shirt. Amid the farewells, the Portuguese midfielder looked back on some curious episodes from his nine years at the Etihad Stadium, one of which involves a player recommendation.

In an interview with DAZN, Bernardo confided that he, together with defender Ruben Dias, attempted to lure a Portugal team-mate to Manchester City in 2024. The player in question is Joao Neves, then at Benfica and already in negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain.

Bernardo Silva, Portugal's number 10, said: 'Ruben Dias and I have a funny story. Around the time of the Euros in Germany, with Joao Neves, we knew he was close to signing for PSG. So Ruben and I started calling City, telling them not to lose him.'

In the end, Joao Neves did sign for Paris Saint-Germain for €65m (£55m) at just 19 years of age. In two seasons in Paris, the talented midfielder has become one of the cornerstones of Luis Enrique's side, who are heading into their second consecutive Champions League final.

Have Manchester City been left to regret it?

Based on Joao Neves's development over these two years in France, Bernardo Silva stressed that Manchester City must be regretting it now, even if the club had other priorities in the market at the time.

Bernardo Silva added: 'At the time, City had other priorities, because in midfield we had a lot of players. But we kept on at the club not to lose him. They ended up having other priorities back then and decided not to go ahead, but it is a funny story. I think these days they are perhaps a little regretful. We already knew Joao and had also trained with him with the national team, we could already see what he was, because he is a player who does not disappoint.'

City's costly midfield rebuild

Since then, Manchester City have brought in three midfielders and spent €115m (£98m) on signings for that area. In 2024, Ilkay Gundogan returned on a free transfer from Barcelona and stayed for only a year. In the same window, Pep Guardiola requested a replacement for the seriously injured Rodri, and Porto's Nico Gonzalez was the man chosen, although he is already weighing up a departure due to a lack of minutes.

A year ago, Tijjani Reijnders was signed from Milan, alternating between excellent spells and quieter ones. As a result, beyond Joao Neves's significant development, City have seen their signings for that position fail to take off and, on top of that, will not have Bernardo Silva next season either.