Real Madrid sign Bernardo Silva after Manchester City exit
Madrid, June 17
Real Madrid have completed the signing of Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Manchester City, as the Spanish giants continue an aggressive squad overhaul under returning head coach Jose Mourinho.
The 31-year-old arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu after a highly successful nine-year spell at City, where he established himself as one of the Premier League's most influential midfielders and played a key role in one of the club's most successful eras, according to Sky Sports.
Confirming the move on Wednesday, Real Madrid shared a statement saying, "Real Madrid CF and Bernardo Silva have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next two seasons, until June 30, 2028."
Silva joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017 and went on to make 460 appearances for the club. During his time at the Etihad Stadium, he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the UEFA Champions League, becoming a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola's side thanks to his versatility, technical ability and relentless work rate.
The Portugal international, who has earned 109 caps for his country and won the UEFA Nations League twice, is expected to add experience and creativity to a Real Madrid midfield undergoing significant changes ahead of the new season.
His arrival is the latest move in a busy summer for Real Madrid, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025-26 campaign in which they failed to win La Liga and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
The club recently secured the signing of Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea in a deal worth an initial £47.5 million, rising to £51.8 million with add-ons.
Cucurella, who made 163 appearances for Chelsea and helped the club win the Conference League and Club World Cup, reportedly attracted interest from several European clubs before opting for a move to Madrid.
Real have also strengthened defensively by agreeing deals for free-agent centre-back Ibrahima Konate and Dutch international Denzel Dumfries, with official announcements expected soon.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Wow, 460 games for City and six PL titles? That's incredible consistency. But signing a 31-year-old on a two-year deal feels short-term. Real should be building for the future, not just patching gaps from last season's disaster. Cucurella and Konate make more sense. Just my opinion though
As a Madridista from Mumbai, this is massive. B Silva is underrated worldwide because he doesn't score 20 goals, but his work rate and creativity are elite. Mourinho will use him perfectly. But I'm worried about Cucurella for £50m - he's good but that's crazy money in this economy!
Man City fan here. Heartbreaking to see him leave but understandable - his form dipped last season. Free transfer is a steal for Real. He'll bring a lot of intelligence to the midfield. The Cucurella deal though... £47.5m for a backup LB? Real are overpaying big time.
Konate and Dumfries as free agents? Good business! But Cucurella was just average at Chelsea - £51m with add-ons seems risky. Bernardo though - what a player! He'll fit perfectly alongside Bellingham and Valverde. Madrid are back in business this season! Hala Madrid! 🔥
Interesting to see Mourinho back at Real. His style is very different from Guardiola's. Bernardo Silva is a Pep player - can he adapt? I'm skeptical. But then again, Mourinho's counter-attacking system could use Silva's intelligence. Cucurella is a solid signing
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