Manchester City recently confirmed that Jack Grealish has joined them from Aston Villa in a deal worth a reported British-record £100 million.
Grealish joins a City squad that would already have been a strong contender for the Premier League title with their B-team - and that’s before we even discuss Harry Kane and his protracted potential switch from Spurs.
“City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world,” said England star Grealish on his move up the M6 to Manchester. A 22-year-old Bernardo Silva said the same when he put pen to paper on a five-year-deal at the Etihad back in 2017: “I’m now at one of the best teams in the world… If not the best coach in the world, [Guardiola] is one of the best.”
If there is any truth in the rumour mill, Grealish’s arrival may be the precursor for Bernardo’s departure - La Liga clubs are said to be circling as it has been reported that he is keen on a return to Iberia. If Bernardo does leave and Pep takes a moment to reflect on the midfielder’s contribution, he will be delighted if Grealish ends up being even half as successful as Bernardo.
Upon arrival in Manchester, Bernardo Silva was far more than simply a hot prospect. The Benfica academy product had already earned 12 senior international caps for the Seleção and had just helped steer Monaco to Ligue 1 title glory, contributing a handy 8 goals across 36 league appearances.
Fan favourite
Several elements of his game quickly ensured Bernardo became both a fan favourite and as close to a first name on the team sheet that you will ever get in a Pep Guardiola squad. First is his willingness to press relentlessly and aggressively. A hallmark of Guardiola’s teams is their work to recover the ball as quickly as possible when they lose possession, and Bernardo’s defensive work-rate makes him a perfect forward player for such a system.
Second is his versatility. Guardiola is not one for sticking to the tried and trusted four, four, two - or to any formation or tactic. When he gets his tinkering right, it looks spectacular and City have the talent to absolutely rout teams. Bernardo Silva is absolutely key to City’s ability to adapt to the opponent and the situation through his impressive versatility. He has taken on roles in the front three, on the left of a midfield three, as well as in the centre and on the right of a midfield four.
Although Bernardo has often played in a midfield three for City, it is not as if Grealish directly competes with him. Grealish is a wonderful ball-carrier, a true magician who can draw fouls at ease from the world’s best defenders. He is a masterful creator of space and chances for others and, despite regularly playing wide for Villa and England, is arguably best suited to a central position. A central pair of Kevin De Bruyne and Grealish with Rodri or a still-phenomenal Fernandinho behind them is a frightening prospect, even more so if Bernardo Silva can be retained in one of the front three slots.
Bernardo deal a steal
In terms of the impact Bernardo Silva has had at City over the last four years, his £45 million transfer fee looks like an absolute steal in hindsight. In the same year as Bernardo arrived, City also spent £58.5 million on Aymeric Laporte and £51.75 million on Bernardo’s Monaco teammate Benjamin Mendy. While both Laporte and Mendy have had their star moments and runs of form, neither have produced anywhere near the consistently high levels that Bernardo Silva has reached in City blue.
Jack Grealish is the latest in a long list of high-profile, mega-money signings that Pep Guardiola has made in his tenure as Man City manager. He will surely excel at City and it is difficult to look past them for the title this year - indeed many punters will be taking advantage of new customer betting offers throughout the season to bet on Pep’s team to retain their crown. However, despite not being the highest profile or most expensive player in that long list of City signings, there are few - if any - that have proved as good value as Bernardo Silva. City would do well to encourage him to stick around.
