Manchester City have confirmed they are to sign AS Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva in a £43million transfer.
The 22-year-old Portuguese international is the first piece of manager Pep Guardiola’s summer rebuilding.
Silva made 58 appearances for Monaco who recently won the French league and in the season scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists.
Here is what Silva, who starred for Monaco in their Champions League last 16 knockout round game against City, has said about his big-money move.
ON JOINING CITY…
“It feels great. To be honest I’m now at one of the best teams in the world. To be part of this club and to have this opportunity is great. I’m very happy to be part of Manchester City’s team and I look forward to trying to do my best to help the team reach their goals.”
It’s official. @BernardoCSilva will join City on July 1st! #WelcomeBernardohttps://t.co/dWswQzTPYB
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 26, 2017
ON WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO CITY…
“First of all, the project. Manchester City over the last few years has played to win and I want to win medals. When I spoke to the people at Manchester City they always told me their goal was to win titles and that is also my goal. So I’m here with all the amazing players that we have, the coach and all the team that is behind us, I think we can do it.”
ON GUARDIOLA…
“If not the best coach in the world, he is one of the best. Of course when you have the opportunity of being trained by [Pep] Guardiola, you don’t say no. As we all know, what he did in Barcelona and Bayern Munich was amazing and we expect also here that he will win titles. It’s great to be working with him and to have this opportunity.
ON OTHER PORTUGUESE NUMBER 10s…
“We have a lot of players that are offensive players that over the last few years have had a lot of success in football. We have a lot of offensive midfielders. We’re a little bit similar to Spain. We’re smaller so we don’t have as many players as them. We’re similar to them because we’re not like the north of Europe with tall players and strong players, but we have other things. When you’re smaller and not as strong as other players physically, you have to develop some other things. You have to think faster and try to be better at other things. In this kind of position it’s good to be smart, to decide well and think fast and when you’re smaller you have to develop other things and that’s what I try to do.”
ON DECO’S PRAISE OF HIM AND HIS OWN IDOLS…
“When you hear someone like Deco talking about you in that way it’s great. He was one of the best players to play for our national team. He and Rui Costa are two legends and it’s great to hear him speak that way about me. Rui Costa was my idol. I grew up a Benfica fan and Rui Costa played for Benfica, ended his career in Benfica and played more or less my position.”
https://twitter.com/BernardoCSilva/status/868172309626056704
ON CITY 5-3 MONACO…
“We weren’t pleased about the score because we didn’t win that game but it was a great game with two teams that wanted to play football and score goals. In the end I think both teams played a fantastic game. To play here at the Etihad was special.”
ON WORK ETHIC…
“Nowadays if you don’t work hard, even if you’re one of the best you don’t succeed. It’s not only defenders who have to defend or attackers who have to attack. It’s a team and we all have to do everything.”
ON HIS FIRST STEPS INTO THE PROFESSIONAL GAME…
“It was very important to me to go from the under-19s to the second division. That year when you have the difference between playing with kids and playing with experienced players, it was great to play with the second team at Benfica. It was one of the most important years of my care.
ON BEING NOMINATED IN TOP 10 PLAYERS AT 2013 U19 EUROS…
“When you play for your country it means you have been selected as one of the best at your age. To be in that European Cup and selected as one of the best of the tournament was great as well.”
ON HIS TIME AT MONACO…
“I was a little bit surprised [by how quickly I adapted to French football]. We had a lot of Portuguese players and a Portuguese coach that helped me a lot as well. I adapted really fast but because I had a lot of help. Of course [it is difficult to have left Monaco]. It is true that in Monaco this season we did some fantastic things. To win a title against PSG is not easy in France, to arrive in the semi-finals of the Champions League was fantastic. But it is a good time to leave. We are champions and it was good to be part of Monaco. I am very grateful for everything but now I am very happy to be here and have this new project in my life.”
ON PLAYING ATTRACTIVE FOOTBALL…
“Personally it is important to me. When you win and you play well you enjoy it even better. When you can have both things, winning and enjoying your football it’s great.”
ON DAVID SILVA…
“He is one of the best players in the world. I look forward to learning from him and to see what he can teach me. I look forward to playing with him. To have this opportunity is fantastic. When I was a kid I was looking at him and some other players, now to be able to play with them is great.”