Bernardo Silva will leave Man City when his contract expires at the end of the season; captain is "unique" and cannot be replaced by another player as "they do not exist", says assistant boss Pep Lijnders; Silva has won six Premier League titles
Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva will leave the club at the end of the season.
The Portugal international, 31, has won six Premier League titles and one Champions League during his nine seasons with City but will depart when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
Speaking in the press conference after City's 4-0 FA Cup win over Liverpool on Saturday, assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed that "every good story comes to an end" and acknowledged that it will not be possible for the club to replace their skipper.
"You never replace a player with the same kind of player, because they don't exist. Bernardo Silva is unique," said Lijnders, who was filling in for Pep Guardiola due to the manager serving a touchline suspension.
The Dutchman added: "The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions, all these things.
"You never search for a replacement of one type of player, you search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first XI.
"And then you hope with our academy, with the young players we already bought, that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions."
"But it will be hard, because as I said, in the game, when he's not playing, you will see how he's missed. And that's one game. Imagine a season?
"But every good story comes to an end.
"I hope he enjoys the last months... and he deserves all that attention as well."