ไทย
English
中國人
José Mourinho is hoping, according to a recent report, that Real Madrid will accomplish something this summer that Manchester United never managed: signing Bernardo Silva.
United had been monitoring Silva back in 2016 when Mourinho took charge at Old Trafford. However, a potential deal — which would have competed with reported interest from Juventus — never came to fruition, nor did one materialize a year later when the then-22-year-old Portuguese star joined Manchester City instead, following a brilliant campaign with Monaco that brought the Ligue 1 championship and a Champions League semifinal appearance.
Now, a decade on, Mourinho may finally get the opportunity to work with his fellow countryman, who becomes a free agent on June 30 when his contract with Manchester City officially expires.
AS reports that Silva is among Mourinho's top "preferences" for summer recruitment, provided Florentino Pérez secures victory in the presidential election and the new managerial appointment is finalized. This would transform what was previously expected to be a two-horse race between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid into a three-way contest for a player whose top-level career still has plenty left to offer.
World Cup Previews
All 48 Teams
Bespoke Illustrations
Silva's circumstances in Manchester were quite different from those of Kevin De Bruyne last summer, with the veteran Belgian not being offered a new deal. Instead, the 31-year-old Silva revealed in the days leading up to his final City appearance that while he was asked to remain, he had already decided to depart back in 2024. Despite being a key component of Pep Guardiola's system, Silva notably struggled to settle into life in England off the pitch and had been courted to stay at the Etihad Stadium as far back as 2020.
A potential homecoming to boyhood club Benfica had been discussed in recent months, which could have brought him under Mourinho's management through a different path had circumstances unfolded differently. Even so, a move to Madrid in central Spain would place Silva within a 90-minute flight of his family based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Bernardo Silva Is What Real Madrid Need
Guardiola has given his blessing to any club looking to sign Silva. "He fits into any team — he's simply exceptional," the departing Manchester City manager said, via AS, at an event near Barcelona on Saturday.
Silva's adaptability has allowed him to excel in numerous roles throughout his career, equally comfortable on the wing, as a No. 10, in a box-to-box capacity, or as a deep-lying playmaker. It is the latter role that could prove most valuable to Real Madrid, a club that has lost both Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić in back-to-back summers without adequately replacing either.
Rodri has been touted as the ideal solution and has even shown interest in a potential switch. But with the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner proving impossible to pry away from Manchester City, Silva stands as a more than capable alternative — and one who comes at virtually no transfer cost.
Beyond his technical quality and creative ability, Silva could also provide Real Madrid with a much-needed injection of senior leadership. The squad is short on commanding figures, with the absences of Kroos and Modrić felt in more ways than one, and further experience set to walk out the door with Dani Carvajal and David Alaba departing this summer. Without action, this risks creating a void that could deepen the existing internal tensions within the squad.
Barcelona Confirmed As an 'Option'
After featuring for Portugal in a World Cup warm-up victory over Chile on Saturday, Silva was approached by journalists after the final whistle regarding his future and, in particular, Barcelona.
"I haven't reached a decision yet," the player said. "I want to join a club that truly wants me, that's certain. A club where I feel I can make a real contribution.
"Is [signing for Barcelona] a dream? I won't answer that because I genuinely don't know where I'll end up. It's one of the options available to me, but I haven't decided anything yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
Barcelona will be equally eager to bring in an accomplished winner without having to pay a transfer fee.