Man City: Guardiola will only allow Silva to leave on one condition
Questions have been asked of the 23-year-old following a big-money arrival at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2017.
Premier League leaders City are yet to see the best of him, but that is due to fierce competition for places and he has still appeared in 39 of 41 fixtures this season – more than anybody else.
Guardiola retains full belief in Silva and has moved to rule out any chance of a talented playmaker being moved on, telling reporters: “When he played he's played top. He's a young guy, he's a guy in the locker room who we are so happy to have here.
“He'll stay a long time, while I'm here he will not move on, he will stay with me. I haven't seen him sad, even for one day - always in a good mood, and you cannot imagine how important that is.”
“When he didn't play too much, you cannot imagine how important he is in the locker room and he's this kind of guy, his mood is always in the right place.”