CITY SPECIAL So, where will the new boy line up?
BERNARDO Silva adds yet more quality to the City squad.
The Monaco ace joins for £43m and will add yet more competition to the midfield and attacking ranks, and his arrival will mean less game time for some players next season.
Pep Guardiola is not averse to experimenting with his formations, but how could he fit Silva into his XI?
More than anything, he has more options.
The 22-year-old has predominantly played on the right of midfield but could be versatile enough to occupy a number of roles in the team, especially after some time on the training ground.
Here are a few ways City could line up with him.
ON THE RIGHT INSTEAD OF STERLING IF Silva takes up the position he has excelled in at Monaco, Raheem Sterling could be set for more time on the bench.
The England winger fell out of favour towards the end of the season and Silva could come straight into the team without upsetting the balance of the team already in place.
Guardiola has demanded running from his wide men and another body will allow for more rotation and rest for those players, which should stop the team from running out of steam when it gets to the business end of the season.
A SILVA-SILVA DREAM TEAM THE Portuguese star is being heralded by some fans as the next David Silva, but Merlin has shown this season that he is far from finished.
Why play one Silva then when you have two? That would nudge Kevin de Bruyne out of those positions, although the 25-year-old has taken on more defensive responsibilities under Guardiola this season.
Along with Ilkay Gundogan, he could challenge Fernandinho and Yaya Toure in defensive midfield as well as rotate with the Silva boys.
PHASING SILVA OUT IF Silva is to replace Silva, maybe that should be immediately?
Silva senior can continue to sparkle on a semi-regular basis, but his younger namesake will be first choice in the team going forward.
After years of having one of the oldest squads in the league, City could have one of the most youthful attacks on the continent next season.
Fitting in so many forward players could also bring a return for the three-man defence. ■FALSE NINE YOU can’t see it happening every week when you have Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus in your squad, but Guardiola has demonstrated his penchant for the left-field selection on occasion. De Bruyne has been lukewarm about being the furthest forward, so Silva could be the next to occupy a roaming role up front. BERNARDO Silva Guardiola player.
And City’s £43m move for the Portuguese playmaker is further evidence their manager will not compromise - even after a trophyless first season at the Etihad.
Guardiola is determined to conquer English football the only way he knows how - and a diminutive, technically flawless midfielder fits into his masterplan perfectly.
With David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan already at his disposal, the 22-year-old would not appear to be a priority signing. is the epitome of a Pep
But such is Guardiola’s determination to construct City in his own image and replicate his success at Barcelona and Bayern Munich that Silva becomes the first signing in a summer of major overhaul.
Silva was outstanding in Monaco’s French titlewinning team that also knocked City out of the Champions League in the round of 16.
The swashbuckling style of Leonardo Jardim’s side brought Silva, Kylian Mbappe and more to the attention of the world at large.
It’s notable that Silva’s agent Jorge Mendes held informal talks with City after the first leg in February - Mbappe was also discussed.
Guardiola’s obsession with quick-passing, possession football immediately drew him to Silva, a player he describes as ‘intelligent and