Bernardo Silva will exit Manchester City when his contract concludes this summer, assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed Saturday. The club captain had hinted at his decision in September without publicly disclosing it.

Silva, 31, joined City from Monaco in 2017 and has accumulated 450 first-team appearances across nine seasons. He was handed the captaincy last summer following the departures of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne.

Lijnders, filling in for suspended head coach Pep Guardiola during Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Liverpool, addressed the challenge of replacing such a versatile midfielder.

"Bernardo is unique. The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions," Lijnders said. "You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team."

Lijnders pointed to City's academy and previously acquired younger players as part of the club's path forward in midfield.

"Every good story comes to an end, and I hope he enjoys the last months — there are only six weeks — and has a good farewell," Lijnders added. "He deserves all that attention as well."

Silva departs having won 19 trophies with City, including six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League. He could make up to nine additional appearances before the season concludes.