Bernardo Silva says he will leave Manchester City when his contract expires in June 2026, but the 31-year-old has ruled out an immediate return to Benfica and wants his next move settled before Portugal’s World Cup campaign begins.
Silva told Canal 11 that he is “not going to Benfica” this summer, while adding that he hopes to return to the club one day. He said he wants to resolve his future between the end of the season and the start of training with Portugal so he can go into the 2026 World Cup with a clear head. That puts a timetable on one of the biggest transfer decisions of the summer and answers the question of where is Bernardo Silva going only in part: not to Lisbon now, and not without a decision soon.
The timing matters because Silva is nearing the end of a nine-year run at Manchester City that began when he joined from Monaco for £43m in July 2017. He has played 457 times in all competitions, won six Premier League titles and was part of the 2022-23 treble-winning side that lifted the Champions League. He also added another medal in March 2026, when City beat Arsenal in the EFL Cup final, and he is now chasing a 20th trophy as a City player in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley.
Juventus have been linked with Silva for several months, and reports in Italy say director Damien Comolli has kept talking with his agent, Jorge Mendes. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Chicago Fire have also been credited with interest. Juventus’ pitch could improve if they finish in the Champions League places, with the club sitting third in Serie A, one point above Roma in fifth, and two games left to play.
For Silva, the next step is less about sentiment than scheduling. He has long spoken about a future return to Benfica as both a career and life goal, but this summer is too soon for that move. By the time Portugal meet DR Congo on June 17, after friendlies against Chile on June 6 and Nigeria on June 10, he wants a new club in place and his mind on the World Cup rather than on the market.
