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Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva is reportedly preparing to leave the club at the conclusion of this season.

The Premier League champions have already identified a possible successor for Silva, and the player could be available for a reasonable transfer fee.

The Portuguese midfielder has been a pivotal figure during what is arguably the most successful era in Manchester City’s history since joining from Monaco in 2017.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, Silva has lifted six Premier League trophies, five League Cups, two FA Cups, and one UEFA Champions League title.

This remarkable success, along with his leadership and work ethic, makes him an extremely difficult player to replace. The 31-year-old is expected to depart when his current contract expires this summer.

Assistant manager Pep Lijnders acknowledged Silva’s importance, stating, “you never replace” a player of his calibre. However, Manchester City appear to have found someone who could potentially fill part of that void — and at a considerably lower cost.

According to reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola, City are currently in “pole position” to sign Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

The Manchester club have reportedly initiated contact with Sporting regarding a possible transfer.

The Danish international has previously attracted interest from European giants such as Juventus and Manchester United, so competition for his signature is expected to be strong once again this summer.

Despite having an €80 million release clause in his contract, Sporting are said to be willing to listen to offers in the region of €40 million to €50 million, which could make the deal even more appealing for City.

Manchester City’s pursuit may also benefit from the presence of director of football Hugo Viana, who formerly held the same position at Sporting and maintains strong connections with the Portuguese club.

In the opinion of FourFourTwo, this potential move reflects the kind of shrewd transfer strategy that Manchester City have become known for over recent years.

While some of their signings in recent transfer windows have appeared somewhat reactionary, Hjulmand represents a player the club’s management team knows well and could secure for a relatively modest fee.

As always, there is no guarantee of how a player might adapt to the demands of English football, but given the circumstances, this appears to be a calculated and intelligent risk.

According to Transfermarkt, Hjulmand currently holds a market value of €45 million.