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David Silva Set to Leave Manchester City When Contract Expires in 2020
July 26, 2018
Manchester City midfielder David Silva has said his current contract with the club may be his last.
Silva recently signed a one-year extension to his terms, keeping him tied down at the Etihad Stadium until 2020. Speaking to Sky Sports News, the Spain international said that when that contract expires, he will most likely move on.
"When I finish my contract with Manchester City I will be 34 years old, at that time I will probably want to do something different," he said. "I don't know yet, but I won't play for another club in England."
Silva arrived at City in 2010 from Valencia and has gone on to become arguably the finest footballer in the club's history.
The Spain international has been at the hub of three Premier League title wins for City, as well as an FA Cup win and three League Cups. Last season was one of the 32-year-old's best, as he excelled under the guidance of manager Pep Guardiola.
The club's Twitter account highlighted one of his many magnificent performances in the 2017-18 Premier League season, in which the team coasted to the title and amassed a magnificent 100 points:
Silva's role has changed down the years at City. When he first arrived from Valencia, he typically played in a position on either flank, drifting infield and knitting together midfield and forward players.
Last term he was a central midfielder, with Guardiola utilising his cerebral talents to dictate the tempo of City's attacks. His control and composure was a perfect foil for the irrepressible thrust provided by Kevin De Bruyne alongside him, with the pair bossing midfield battles in tandem.
While he probably played in a deeper role last term than at any point previously in his career, Silva was still able to make his mark in the final third:
Silva is still fit, still sharp and will surely remain a crucial part of Guardiola's plans for the next two seasons at City. However, the English champions will have to start putting plans in place to replace one of the all-time great Premier League midfielders.
Given he's never been a player to rely on pace or physicality, it's easy to see Silva continuing to play at a high level beyond his 34th birthday. Should he leave City in two years time, whichever club does get him should be landing a brilliant footballer and a proven winner.