AS Reports: Bernardo Silva Headed for Real Madrid

Spanish daily AS has produced a striking report on one of the top names of the summer transfer window. According to AS, Bernardo Silva, whose contract with Manchester City has ended and who has entered free-agent status, has been placed at the top of the new transfer plan of Real Madrid under José Mourinho. The 31-year-old midfielder has changed direction with the direct assurances received from Mourinho and has set the route toward the Spanish capital.

Bernardo Silva entered the transfer market as a free agent after nine seasons in the Premier League with Manchester City. During that period, he won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup with Pep Guardiola's team. He inscribed his name in football history as one of the names at the centre of Manchester City's English football dominance. After his contract expires on June 30, he will move to a new address without any transfer fee being paid to the club.

According to AS, the door Real Madrid opened to Bernardo Silva is directly a preference of José Mourinho. When the Portuguese manager took office at Manchester United about ten years ago, he had started watching Bernardo Silva, but the transfer could not be realised at the time. Now in office at the Bernabeu, Mourinho may grasp the chance to work on the same touchline with his compatriot at an advanced stage of his career. According to AS, Bernardo Silva was previously having advanced talks with Barcelona; but after Real Madrid stepped in and Mourinho's personal assurances followed, the player changed the priority ranking. There were also contacts with Atlético Madrid in the same period.

According to AS, the finalization of the transfer decision has been left until after the tournament. Bernardo Silva is currently at the Portugal national team's World Cup camp in the US. He will take role alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as the brain of Roberto Martínez's Group K attacking game. The former Manchester City captain will officially confirm the decision after the cup excitement.

After Florentino Pérez won the presidential election, the club hierarchy placed this transfer at the centre of the summer plan. According to AS, the Real Madrid management sees Bernardo's "team-first" mentality as ideal for establishing the new balance of the dressing room. By contrast, the fact that Bernardo is 31 and will turn 32 next year shows that a multi-year contract structure carries long-term risk. Still, the free transfer opportunity softens this risk.

Bernardo Silva is a footballer known for his versatility. The flexibility he can play as a winger, a number ten, a box-to-box midfielder and a deep playmaker gave him a technical weapon that has sustained his long career. Guardiola also said at an event near Barcelona about the player, "He adapts to any team, he's just too good." This versatility also leaves Mourinho a wide field on how to deploy him at the Bernabeu.

Only the official signature and announcement remain. Bernardo Silva's decision is also seen as an important piece in the rebuilding process of Manchester City after Pep Guardiola. The Portuguese star looks set to officially begin a new chapter under the Real Madrid jersey when he returns from the World Cup.

Source: AS.

Image: as.com