‘It isn’t even close’ - Merson says Portuguese star is better than Ronaldo

The former Arsenal midfielder turned pundit has revealed why he rates Bernardo Silva so highly.

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo as the ‘best Portuguese player’ in the Premier League, says Paul Merson.

Despite being heavily linked with an exit last summer, Silva stayed put at City. The midfielder has since reclaimed a starring role under Pep Guardiola this season after raising his game. In the last five Premier League games alone, he has scored five times for the table-toppers.

The former Monaco star’s improved form has defied all expectations and, based on his current form, earns him a ranking higher than even Manchester United’s Portuguese duo Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes in Merson’s book.

“Bernardo Silva is at the top of his game and is doing very well for himself,” Merson wrote in his Sportskeeda column.

“[Riyad] Mahrez, [Raheem] Sterling, and [Kevin] De Bruyne have been untouchable in the team in the past – now, Bernardo Silva is the talisman. Pep Guardiola has been pretty fortunate in that sense.

“I think Bernardo Silva’s the best Portuguese player in the Premier League at the moment. It isn’t even close, is it?

“Make no mistake – he’s never going to achieve the heights Ronaldo has scaled in his career. At the moment, however, you’d be hard-pressed to look past Bernardo Silva.”