The 31-year-old is widely expected to leave Man City once his current contract expires at the end of the season.
Noronha Lopes, who is hoping to replace Rui Costa as Benfica’s president, has now confirmed that he has been in talks with the Man City player ‘for a long time.’
“I really want to bring him back,” he said via SAPO Portugal.
“I’ve been talking to him for a long time. I repeat what I said at the beginning of the campaign, and I’ll say it again now: with me, the president will return. I’m not setting deadlines. He’s someone I admire; he’s a great Benfica supporter.
“Bernardo makes his own decisions,” Lopes added. “I perfectly understand that he doesn’t take a public position regarding the elections.”
“Yes, I can confirm that a contract is waiting for Bernardo Silva,” he told the outlet.
“And I really want to bring him in in January. He embodies everything I want for Benfica: identity, a winning culture, and he’s a true Benfica fan. And I can assure you that we won’t stop here.”