It was that rarest of occurrences – a David Silva transfer story.

After nine trophy-laden years in the Premier League, the man affectionately known as ‘Merlin’ was considering casting his spell on Japan and joining countryman Andres Iniesta across the other side of the world.

Given his age, length of service and, indeed, the rarity of such stories, it was impossible to ignore.

You see, the sheer lack of speculation regarding one of the finest talents to grace the Premier League is perhaps more remarkable than anything he’s produced on the pitch.

A man at the heart of Spain’s all-conquering national side and four title-winning Manchester City teams has been immune to the type of baggage that comes with such talent.

Think Eden Hazard and the annual flirtations with Real Madrid.

In Pictures | Eden Hazard unveiled at Real Madrid 25 show all In Pictures | Eden Hazard unveiled at Real Madrid 1/25 AFP/Getty Images 2/25 AFP/Getty Images 3/25 Getty Images 4/25 AFP/Getty Images 5/25 EPA 6/25 Getty Images 7/25 Getty Images 8/25 Getty Images 9/25 Getty Images 10/25 REUTERS 11/25 AFP/Getty Images 12/25 AFP/Getty Images 13/25 AFP/Getty Images 14/25 AFP/Getty Images 15/25 EPA 16/25 AFP/Getty Images 17/25 REUTERS 18/25 Getty Images 19/25 AFP/Getty Images 20/25 AFP/Getty Images 21/25 AP 22/25 REUTERS 23/25 AP 24/25 Getty Images 25/25 AFP/Getty Images 1/25 AFP/Getty Images 2/25 AFP/Getty Images 3/25 Getty Images 4/25 AFP/Getty Images 5/25 EPA 6/25 Getty Images 7/25 Getty Images 8/25 Getty Images 9/25 Getty Images 10/25 REUTERS 11/25 AFP/Getty Images 12/25 AFP/Getty Images 13/25 AFP/Getty Images 14/25 AFP/Getty Images 15/25 EPA 16/25 AFP/Getty Images 17/25 REUTERS 18/25 Getty Images 19/25 AFP/Getty Images 20/25 AFP/Getty Images 21/25 AP 22/25 REUTERS 23/25 AP 24/25 Getty Images 25/25 AFP/Getty Images

Before him Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho. The list goes on.

The richest league in world football invariably relents when Real and Barcelona decide it’s time to cherry-pick its greatest players.

Hazard has already been unveiled at the Bernabeu – and Zinedine Zidane is intent on adding Paul Pogba to his overhaul in the Spanish capital.

In Pictures | Four players who could replace Paul Pogba at Man Utd 5 show all In Pictures | Four players who could replace Paul Pogba at Man Utd 1/5 Who can fill Pogba's shoes? With the World Cup winner confirming he is looking for a "new challenge", James Robson runs the rule over who Ed Woodward could sign for Manchester United... 2/5 Christian Eriksen The Tottenham playmaker ticks almost all of the boxes and is a player United have maintained interest in for some time.



A creator and a goal-scorer, he is Premier League proven and the type of marquee name to appease fans and investors.



With a year to run on his contract, the Dane is expected to leave Spurs this summer, with Real among those targeting him. But should Pogba head to the Bernabeu, United may find themselves in pole position. Getty Images 3/5 Philippe Coutinho A name that has continued to be linked to Old Trafford on account of his troubles at Barcelona.



United are one of the few clubs who could give Barca anything close to a decent return on the £142m they paid Liverpool for him 18 months ago.



The fact that he’s a former Liverpool player is another matter entirely. AFP/Getty Images 4/5 Bruno Fernandes United are among a host of clubs to register interest in the free-scoring Sporting Lisbon midfielder.



While they have been exploring other targets as well this summer, he may just provide the goals they would lose from Pogba’s departure. AFP/Getty Images 5/5 James Maddison One of the finds of last season, the England under 21 international is being tracked by United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs.



He ticks the box of being an emerging domestic talent – and without Pogba to stand in his way, Solskjaer could offer him the first team football he demands. AFP/Getty Images 1/5 Who can fill Pogba's shoes? With the World Cup winner confirming he is looking for a "new challenge", James Robson runs the rule over who Ed Woodward could sign for Manchester United... 2/5 Christian Eriksen The Tottenham playmaker ticks almost all of the boxes and is a player United have maintained interest in for some time.



A creator and a goal-scorer, he is Premier League proven and the type of marquee name to appease fans and investors.



With a year to run on his contract, the Dane is expected to leave Spurs this summer, with Real among those targeting him. But should Pogba head to the Bernabeu, United may find themselves in pole position. Getty Images 3/5 Philippe Coutinho A name that has continued to be linked to Old Trafford on account of his troubles at Barcelona.



United are one of the few clubs who could give Barca anything close to a decent return on the £142m they paid Liverpool for him 18 months ago.



The fact that he’s a former Liverpool player is another matter entirely. AFP/Getty Images 4/5 Bruno Fernandes United are among a host of clubs to register interest in the free-scoring Sporting Lisbon midfielder.



While they have been exploring other targets as well this summer, he may just provide the goals they would lose from Pogba’s departure. AFP/Getty Images 5/5 James Maddison One of the finds of last season, the England under 21 international is being tracked by United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs.



He ticks the box of being an emerging domestic talent – and without Pogba to stand in his way, Solskjaer could offer him the first team football he demands. AFP/Getty Images

Yet Silva’s head has never been turned. And that was vital for a club that has fought so hard to break into Europe’s elite.

Privately City believe their rivals accept there is little point in trying to unsettle their stars. They have both the financial power and the resolve to reject any bid.

Carlos Tevez realised as much back in 2011 when trying to force a move – and despite Yaya Toure’s repeated threats to walk away, he ultimately left on City’s terms, while hoping he’d be granted another year at the Etihad.

The point with Silva is that he’s never even agitated to go. Never once fluttered his eyelashes towards Spain or anywhere else for that matter.

As far as he’s concerned, each summer transfer window has moved as serenely as he glides across the pitch.

In that sense, he’s been worth his weight in gold – even before taking into account the goals, assists and feats of near impossibility, he makes look so easy every time he plays.

That has been vital to the ambitious project City undertook when their Abu Dhabi owners set out to lure the world’s best to the Etihad and turn football on its head.

Silva, Toure, Aguero, Tevez and Mario Balotelli were bold statements of intent. And had they all gone the same way as Tevez and Balotelli, who knows where the club would be now.

City could not be seen as a place to get rich quick and move on. A haven for mercenaries with no affinity for the place – other than a big pay check.

Nor could it be seen as a stepping stone.

Sheikh Mansour’s grand vision was to make City the pinnacle - where the game’s greatest players could achieve all their ambitions.

Silva bought into that like no other.

While the futures of Toure and, even, Aguero were regularly the sources of speculation, it was simply never the case for the former Valencia man, who even Pep Guardiola admitted he wanted to take to Barcelona during his time at the Nou Camp.

And when stories emerged of a possible move to Japan towards the end of last season, Silva was quick to go to the club’s hierarchy and assure them he would see out the final year of his contract. Not for him to be the cause of any uncertainty.

How United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea could only dream of such a player.

English football’s traditional elite have had to accept their standing as virtual feeder clubs for Spain’s giants.

Sir Alex Ferguson considered it a personal victory to get an extra year out of Ronaldo before the Portugal forward realised his dream of wearing Real’s famous white shirt.

After losing Suarez and Coutinho to Barca – Liverpool fans must wonder when Mo Salah or Virgil van Dijk will follow that well-trodden path to Catalonia. Sadio Mane is already being heavily-linked with Real.

Arsenal’s stars don’t even limit it to Spain’s big two when seeking to realise their ambitions - United, City, Chelsea and Liverpool will do.

And Hazard’s switch to Real is evidence that even Roman Abramovich’s wealth can only achieve so much.

Silva has now publicly confirmed this season will be his last.

His departure will see English football lose a genuine great, who can stand alongside the most influential players to grace the Premier League.

Ten major trophies – including four league titles – is testimony to that.

In his later years at United, Ferguson admittedly privately that failing to sign Silva was one of his greatest regrets.

He had doubts about the diminutive midfielder’s ability to handle the physical side of English football.

By the time Ferguson realised how wrong he was, it was too late.

David Silva in numbers

10 - major trophies with the club to date - four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups. He of course has the chance to sign off in style with further silverware.

395 - appearances for the club since arriving from Valencia.

71 - goals for City in all competitions, including 54 in the Premier League and nine in the Champions League.

83 - assists in the Premier League, seventh in the all-time list.

69.1 - City's Premier League win percentage with Silva in the team - 195 in 282 games, with only 45 defeats along the way.

1 - Silva has just a solitary Premier League player of the month award to his name, in September 2011.