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LONDON. – Manchester City were set to complete a £43m deal to sign Portugal attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva from French champions Monaco.
The 22-year-old will join City on 1 July, with the club set to announce the transfer yesterday.
Silva has made 58 appearances for Monaco this season – including two against City in the Champions League – scoring 11 goals and 12 assists.
He has played 12 times for Portugal, scoring once. Pep Guardiola’s City finished third in the Premier League this season, securing Champions League football next year. Silva was integral to the Monaco side that reached the semi-finals, suffering eventual defeat to Juventus, who play Real Madrid in the final on Saturday, 3 June.
Silva was excellent in Monaco’s 5-3 Champions League defeat at Etihad Stadium in February and Pep Guardiola decided the Portuguese was a man he wanted. So much so, in fact, that he is prepared to put him amongst the top five most expensive players in City history.
A product of the Benfica academy, Silva is an attacking right-sided midfield player and is, at 22, just the kind of age Guardiola likes – old enough to understand his role, young enough to absorb the intricate tactical lessons his new manager imparts – BBC Sport.
Online Reporter