Bernardo Silva has already picked his own replacement at Man City but transfer now impossible

Outgoing Manchester City legend Bernardo Silva has already singled out his potential successor

Manchester City have already missed out on a player Bernardo Silva predicted would succeed him.

After a season of uncertainty surrounding his future, it has been confirmed that Silva will depart the club at the end of the campaign. Assistant manager Pep Lijnders discussed the 31-year-old's impending exit while fulfilling media obligations on behalf of Pep Guardiola following Saturday's FA Cup victory over Liverpool.

The Dutchman, answering a question about how City might fill the void, said: "Every good story comes to an end and I hope he enjoys the last months – because there is only six weeks – and has a good farewell. He deserves all the attention as well."

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Silva, who has claimed six Premier League titles and the Champions League, will prove difficult to replace. One potential heir, Geovany Quenda, was previously pinpointed by Silva, who predicted the teenager would eventually take his position in the Portugal team

Silva previously said of Quenda, who was at Benfica as a youngster before moving to Sporting CP: "He will probably steal my place. At 17, I wasn't even playing for Benfica's youth team."

However, Quenda, now 18, won't be succeeding him at City after securing a move to Chelsea for £44million. The deal was finalised in March last year, though he won't link up with the Blues until this summer.

Quenda has enjoyed an outstanding final campaign with Sporting, delivering impressive performances in both the Primeira Liga and the Champions League. Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, who worked with him at Sporting, is also an admirer of the player, describing him as a "very talented kid".

He said: "Very physically robust, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That's very important for a young player.

"He got his chance and there was no chance to take it away, no doubt, nothing. I think he's going to be a great player, but let's give it time."

On Silva, who has racked up 450 appearances for City since his arrival from Monaco in 2017, Lijnders admitted he will be difficult to replace. He said: "You never replace a player [like him] with the same kind of player because they don't exist. Bernardo Silva is unique, the way he controls games, moves, receives, leads and sees the solutions.

"It will be hard because when he is not playing in a game you see how he is missed. That is one game, imagine the seasons."

Having already secured the Carabao Cup this term, Silva will be hoping to depart City on a triumphant note as they chase Arsenal in the Premier League, while also preparing for another Wembley date in the FA Cup semi-finals against Southampton.