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Manchester City will give David Silva the send-off he deserves, once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

The Blues midfielder, believed by many to be the best player in the club’s history, is due to leave the club in June when his current contract expires.

That is now set to be extended, with the season suspended due to the global health crisis.

Fifa have proposed that current player contracts should be extended until the end of the delayed season, but that appears to be unenforceable in the Premier League, and most other competitions.

That means City will probably have to negotiate a short contract extension with Silva, as well as Claudio Bravo, whose contract expires on June 30.

They may also ask Derby for an extension to the loan of third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson.

It seems unlikely that Silva would insist on leaving when his deal expires on June 30 – his plan was to have one last hurrah with City, and go out on a high by helping them win a major trophy or two.

It is increasingly likely that, if the Premier League season ever does resume, it will be in June, while the postponed European cup competitions are being pencilled in for July and August.

Silva had not asked City for a testimonial, despite being at the club for nearly ten years, and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic threw all plans into chaos.

City have given big farewells to some of their big stars of recent times, with Pablo Zabaleta, Yaya Toure, and Vincent Kompany all being given the treatment.

Among the options will be a testimonial match, a farewell on the pitch following his last game for the club, and the dedication of part of the stadium or training complex, as happened with Toure and Kompany.

Silva is a shy, retiring personality who might not fancy that kind of limelight, but City will not allow his departure to go without marking it in some way.

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The Spain international has won four Premier League titles, five League Cups and two FA Cups in his time at the Etihad Stadium, and was the club’s Player of the Season in 2016-17.

Silva has also won 125 caps for his country – a total bettered by only five players in history - picking up a World Cup and two European Championships along the way.

The 34-year-old has not yet revealed what he will do next, but a move to the MLS is a strong possibility, with Davd Beckham’s new Inter Miami franchise showing strong interest in signing him.