Josko Gvardiol says City “will miss” Bernardo Silva after his move to Real Madrid, while admitting the club’s captaincy situation remains unresolved following his exit.
Silva left City as a free agent this summer after nine years at the club, joining Real Madrid on a two-year deal until 2028. He made 460 appearances in all competitions, scoring 76 goals, and won 19 trophies including six Premier League titles and City’s only Champions League triumph.
Speaking to The Athletic, Gvardiol described the personal impact of the departure. “Bernardo and I are great friends. How much have we lost? We’ll know when we get together at the start of the season, but we’re going to miss him,” he said. “Bernardo is going back to where he belongs. He’d been talking about Spain for a very long time.”
Silva had also held talks with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid before opting for Real Madrid, where new manager Jose Mourinho has made him a marquee free signing.
On the captaincy question left open by the exit of Bernardo Silva, Gvardiol pointed to Ruben Dias as the likely successor. “It is difficult to talk about this matter now,” he said. “Ruben Dias is one of the leaders within the team, and he is likely to take on this role to a greater extent… perhaps he will become the first-choice captain.”
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