Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has admitted that he considered an offer from the Saudi Pro League during the summer but ultimately didn't want to "give up" on playing at the highest level.
Silva has been keen on leaving City on and off ever since growing unsettled away from the pitch during the first UK lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. But it has never detracted from his football and the Portuguese has remained a vital player for City throughout his six years at the club.
City were determined not to let Silva leave this past summer, having been targeted by long-term suitors Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Although the latter wasn't a top priority, the player was ready to explore options with the European giants.
As 90min reported at the time, by early August, Silva had reiterated his desire to leave City. He had said similar in 2022, only to be asked to stay for another year on the assumption that the club would consider letting him leave in 2023 if an £80m valuation was met. But once Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez departed, the City hierarchy felt it was impossible to allow Silva to go as well, even with fresh interest from Barcelona, who were amassing the financial means by selling several players.
The European champions outlined their plan to make Silva one of the highest players at the Etihad Stadium alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, persuading him to sign a new contract until 2026, by which time he will be almost 32, that was signed and made official in late August.
City fans were delighted and while it was plausible that he could also have moved on, it would have been a shock to see Silva lining up in Saudi Arabia this season. The 29-year-old had seen Cristiano Ronaldo take the plunge in January, while another Portugal teammate, Ruben Neves, followed in summer. The money on offer also tempted many others, although most big names were over 30.
But it appears that he at least gave it some thought and didn't refuse the idea out of hand.
"I would lie if I said I didn't think [about Saudi Arabia]," Silva said in his extensive interview with RTP.
In his mind, there was still more for him from a footballing perspective in Europe, citing how he felt when City beat Real Madrid and Inter to win last season's Champions League.
"What interested me was the heat of playing a UEFA Champions League semi-final, listening to the [Etihad] stadium going wild after scoring against Madrid in the semi-finals or when we won the final against Inter. I didn't want to give up on that," Silva explained.
But even though his immediate future is tied to City, Silva has namedropped one club he still hopes to play for before he hangs up his boots. That is Benfica, where the Lisbon-born star spent 11 years in the academy and one in the B team, but played just three first-team games before joining Monaco.
"I want [to re-join Benfica]. If at the time the club wants me, obviously things will happen," he said.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Bernardo Silva reveals why he turned down lucrative Saudi Pro League offer.