Grumpy Guardiola gushes over Bernardo Silva in one last attempt to keep midfielder

The Premier League returns for the final sprint of the season after an international break and FA Cup weekend last. Manchester City have their work cut out in the race for the league title, but will also have their work cut out trying to keep one of their top stars this summer.

Guardiola “deserves” to know

Bernardo Silva is rumored to be leaving the Etihad this summer, but his manager Pep Guardiola told reporters that he has heard nothing from the midfielder. “I do not know, I am so grumpy with Bernardo. A month ago I said I had to be the first for him to tell me and he didn’t say anything to me yet. I do not know if he has already decided. I said jokingly to him to tell me, I deserve it, but he didn’t tell me. I do not know what is going on.”

After winning six league titles, and the first Champions League in club history, the Portuguese wizard is set for a summer exit. His contract runs out at the end of the season, and there will be top teams from all over the continent lining up to sign Silva. Barcelona and Juventus are reportedly the top candidates to land

While it seems like Silva has his mind made up, Guardiola didn’t shy away from making a public plea for “Bernie” to stay. “He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide. It is his decision.”

Rodri leaving too?

While reiterating his intentions keep the player he signed from Monaco in 2017, he shared what makes Silva so special. “He is not the tallest one, the most muscular one, or score 50 goals or make 50 assists a season. These are the type of players that are spotlighted and everyone talks about. From nine years, I know him quite well and for what a manager requires.”

Manchester City are set for a massive shift in the midfield if Silva decides not to sign a new contract with the club he’s called home for almost a decade. Rodri could be on his way out the door as well, after claiming that a return to Madrid could be in the cards this summer. City offered the Ballon d’Or winner a new contract which he has yet to sign.

While there are plenty of things to worry about in the not so distant future, Guardiola and City’s priorities have to be centered around the two titles still on the table. They are in the semifinal of the FA Cup and will take on Southampton with a spot in the final up for grabs later this month. This week they have a crucial matchup with Chelsea as they try to cut into Arsenal’s nine point lead. Guardiola said City’s objective is clear, saying “we have to win every single game.”

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