Pep Guardiola has spoken of his admiration of Bernardo Silva after the midfielder's performance against Chelsea at the weekend.
While Gabriel Jesus's second-half goal proved to be the difference at Stamford Bridge, Silva received widespread praise for his efforts in the centre of midfield.
The Portugal international was allegedly interested in a move away from the Etihad Stadium earlier this year before City failed to receive any notable bids.
At a time when he described the playmaker as 'one of the best players in the world', Guardiola has seemingly acknowledged that an exit remains a possibility.
The Spaniard is quoted by The i as saying: "I never forget the second Premier League we won, he was the best player in England.
"The season after he dropped a little bit, he was not in the position, but now he's back. Again if he wanted to leave the side, the club that is going to take him will take one of the best players in the world.
"You cannot play in this way if you are not happy, if you are not focused. To be happy is to play good."
The 27-year-old is tied to the Premier League champions until the end of 2024-25.
Darren Plant
