Bernardo Silva has expressed his admiration for Declan Rice and William Saliba of Arsenal.
One of 14 Manchester City players competing at the competition in Germany this summer is Bernardo Silva, who on Tuesday night helped Portugal overcome the Czech Republic 2-1 in a thrilling comeback victory at the European Championship.
The 29-year-old, along with Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and Joao Cancelo, are the four Manchester City players included in Portugal’s Euro team.
The midfielder, who notably eliminated Pep Guardiola’s team from the UEFA Champions League in 2016, played alongside a teenage Kylian Mbappe in Fontvieille before moving to the Etihad Stadium from AS Monaco in 2017.
Along with Declan Rice and William Saliba of Arsenal, Mbappe, who recently finished a free move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain, is one of three players for whom Silva has received a great deal of acclaim.
Last month, Silva defeated both Saliba and Rice to win his sixth Premier League title. Meanwhile, Manchester City finished two points ahead of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to win the league for a record-tying fourth time in a row.
After Ilkay Gundogan left West Ham for Barcelona, Rice was linked to a summertime move to the Etihad Stadium by Manchester City, who competed with the Gunners for the signing of the former captain.
The Manchester City midfielder revealed the three non-Portuguese players he would want to see in their squad for the European Championship in Germany. He named Mbappe, the captain of France, as well as two players from Arsenal.
“Definitely, Kylian Mbappe,” I would say. He’s a beast, and I played alongside him [at AS Monaco]. I cherish him. I have one midfield player in mind.
Declan Rice, I’m going to say, since I genuinely like him. William Saliba is my choice because he is an excellent defender who is enjoying a fantastic season.
“I won’t name any Man City players to avoid giving the impression that I’m going with friends; otherwise, I could have mentioned Rodri, a striker, or something else, so no teammates.”
Silva may play against France or England at the European Championship this summer. The 29-year-old midfielder will also play against the Gunners early in the 2019–20 season if the Premier League schedule is released.
Despite possessing a £50 million release clause, Silva is now anticipated to stay in east Manchester when Manchester City hosts Arsenal at the Etihad in September.