Diogo Jota has named Bernardo Silva as the one player from a rival club that he would love to sign for Liverpool.

Bernardo joined Manchester City from Monaco in 2017 and has gone on to play a key role in a multitude of successes for the Etihad Stadium club.

“For me, it’s Bernardo Silva," Jota said when asked in an interview with ESPN which player he would like the Reds to sign from a rival club. "He’s very clever and he’s an outstanding player.”

While his talent is undeniable, Bernardo has been an unpopular figure among Liverpool fans for several years. Bernardo really got himself in Reds supporters' bad books when he refused to clap Liverpool's players while City was giving Jurgen Klopp's team a guard of honor in July 2020.

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While all of Bernardo's teammates lined up to applaud Liverpool's players on winning the club's first top-flight title for 30 years, Bernardo stood still, clearly eager for the guard of honor to end and to get on with the match.

The following month, Bernardo hit out at Liverpool fans after he was bombarded with mocking messages after City was knocked out of the Champions League.

"To all Liverpool fans that have nothing else to do than to come to a Man City player account, I'm also sorry for you but for the wrong reasons — pathetic," Silva posted on X. "Go celebrate your titles or try to find a partner, drink a beer with a friend, read a book. So many options!"

There was also a flashpoint involving Bernardo during Liverpool's win over City at Anfield in December, when Mohamed Salah squared up to the Portugal international after a heavy challenge.

Despite the issues between Liverpool and Bernardo, the player himself has plenty of respect for the Reds after the battles he has been involved in against them.

Addressing the difference between City's main rivals (Liverpool and Arsenal) during the Pep Guardiola era earlier this season, Bernardo said. "The difference [between Liverpool and Arsenal]? I don't know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League [in recent years], Arsenal haven't. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven't. Liverpool always faced us face-to-face to try to win the games. From this perspective, the games against Arsenal haven't been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool."