Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders on the planet — a technically flawless, relentlessly hardworking, and intelligently versatile footballer who has been central to Manchester City's era of dominance under Pep Guardiola.

The Portuguese wizard arrived at City from Monaco in 2017 and has since collected an extraordinary haul of honours, including multiple Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and — most gloriously — the UEFA Champions League in 2022-23 as part of City's historic treble-winning campaign. In that season he was arguably the best player in the world.

What makes Bernardo special is his ability to play virtually anywhere across the midfield and attack, performing each role at the absolute highest level. His tight control in small spaces, relentless pressing, and incisive passing make him Guardiola's most trusted and valued player. The manager has described him as the best player he has ever worked with on multiple occasions.

For Portugal, he operates alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes as one of the Selecao's most important creative forces. Transfer rumours — particularly to Barcelona and PSG — have followed him for years but he remains committed to City.