Former Man City stars urge Bernardo Silva to abandon Pep Guardiola

Tom Weber

• 21 Feb 2026 17:14 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are beckoning Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva to join them at Galatasaray, according to Turkish media.

The Portugal international is facing an uncertain future at the Etihad. Silva's contract at Man City expires this summer, and there have so far been no suggestions that he is going to pen fresh terms with Pep Guardiola's side.

After years of being linked with a move away from City - primarily to clubs like Barcelona and PSG - it seems that Silva will finally make a move this summer. His destination, however, is currently not as clear as it seemed a few months ago.

Current ETV

Bernardo Silva  

M (CR)

Man City

Bernardo Silva  

M (CR)

Man City

€24.6M

ETV Range

€22.1M - €27M

View full profile

In late 2025, Jorge Noronha Lopes, a presidential candidate for Benfica, vowed to re-sign Silva if elected, but he lost to incumbent Rui Costa by a landslide in November. While a return to Lisbon is still possible, other potential suitors are also emerging.

Juventus reportedly hold an interest in Silva, and Galatasaray have now also been added to his list of admirers. The Istanbul giants reportedly have two top midfield targets for summer 2026: Silva and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Gundogan to lure Silva to Galatasaray?

Galatasaray's interest in the latter is no secret. The reigning Super Lig champions have been courting the Inter star for years, with head coach Okan Buruk recently stating that he is waiting "with open arms" for the Turkey international.

However, signing Calhanoglu would require a fee as he is still tied to the Nerrazurri until 2027. As a result, Silva has emerged as an alternative target. Galatasaray believe that they may even have an ace - or two - up their sleeve.

That is because Silva's former teammates Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane currently play in Istanbul. Indeed, according to Fotomac, the former will try to convince the City captain to join him at Gala.

Both Gundogan, a boyhood fan, and Sane were signed in a spectacular 2025 summer window that also saw Gala shatter their club record to bring in Victor Osimhen permanently from Napoli for €75 million.

The report acknowledges that convincing Silva may not be straightforward due to big-name interest from elsewhere, but Gundogan will give it a try by "holding a meeting" with the Portuguese.

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