So it would seem that Bernardo Silva is on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu to play for countryman Jose Mourinho.
Though a deal hasn’t been rubber-stamped as yet, all of the news and rumours point to something being agreed in the next few days.
But wasn’t he meant to be unveiled at Camp Nou this summer? Clearly, Barca weren’t completely sold on Bernardo and, after all, as a free agent, the Portuguese is well within his rights to play for whomever he chooses, despite previous claims that it was his dream
to play for the Catalans.
No matter.
There’s a definite argument to be made that he wasn’t needed anyway.
Yes, he has the skill set that would be right at home in a Barca midfield, and yes, he has an incredible amount of elite-level experience that would be more than welcome.
However, despite the fact that there would have been no transfer fee to bring Silva to Camp Nou, his salary would’ve cost the club a pretty penny at a time when they are still not out of the woods financially.
Age also remains a factor, particularly if the club are trying to ensure that the average age of the first team squad is reduced. Bernardo will turn 32 in August and is heading towards the end of his illustrious career.
Notwithstanding that, the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo and Gavi are all players who could grace any other midfield in Europe too.
One of the only possible reasons that a move for Silva would’ve made sense at this juncture is if there was a realistic possibility that one or more of the regular midfielders were going to be sold. Marc Casado is the only midfielder who looks like leaving this summer and his potential exit seems to be purely down to a lack of game time.
The arrival of Bernardo would have potentially allowed Hansi Flick to rest and rotate his midfielders more often, but it sounds like the Portugal international would not have been too happy to sit on the bench and be a back-up figure in any case.
Even then, Barca have enough quality in reserve to cover any gaps because of injuries or loss of form.
There’s also a school of thought that Flick has been looking for more leadership in the dressing room, particularly after waving goodbye to Robert Lewandowski in the summer.
Older and more experienced professionals can certainly bring something extra to the first-team environment and Bernardo’s experience is most likely one of the reasons Barcelona considered bringing him in.
In any event, there’s seemingly no decision to be made given that the player has made up his mind. There’s no doubting Bernardo’s talent but with gaps in attack and defence, Barca’s priorities clearly lie elsewhere this summer.
