Bernardo Silva preferred Barcelona over Real Madrid, says Deco

FC Barcelona sporting director Deco has revealed that midfielder Bernardo Silva expressed interest in joining the club before ultimately signing with Real Madrid.

In an interview with RAC 1, Deco explained that while Silva wanted to move to Barcelona following his departure from Manchester City, the deal did not materialize due to the club’s specific positional requirements, financial constraints, and the player's desire for guaranteed playing time.

Silva, a decorated Portuguese international, joined Real Madrid as a free agent. Reports indicate Madrid provided a €10 million signing bonus, a €10 million agent fee, and a three-year salary of approximately €20 million per year. Barcelona instead focused their midfield reinforcements on Rodri, an ex-Manchester City player, who commands a reported annual salary of €30 million and a €76.5 million transfer fee.