Barcelona sporting director Deco has said that Bernardo Silva wanted to join the club before he ended up signing for Real Madrid this summer, according to an interview on Spanish radio. Speaking about the failed move, Deco pointed to squad fit, financial terms and the playing time Silva was seeking as the reasons the deal never came together.
Silva left Manchester City after nine years at the club in the summer transfer window, eventually signing for Los Blancos as a free agent. Barcelona had already closed their transfer window business by reinforcing the midfield through another former City player, Rodri, rather than pursuing Silva to the end.
Deco explains why the move fell through
According to Deco, Silva did want to come to Barcelona, but the move simply did not work out. He explained that the club operates with certain parameters, and that Silva’s position was not the one Barcelona was looking to fill at the time.
Beyond the positional question, Deco said it came down to financial terms and playing time, since Silva wanted assurances he would play regularly. When a player’s expectations differ from the club’s own planning, Deco added, there is little Barcelona can do about it. Barcelona were already navigating tight recruitment margins during the window, as detailed in recent coverage of La Liga’s salary-limit constraints affecting clubs across the division.
Rodri instead of Silva: two different midfield profiles
Barcelona’s alternative solution in midfield was Rodri, a move covered in detail when Barcelona’s offer for the Manchester City midfielder first emerged. Deco described Rodri’s arrival as a near-impossible scenario only months earlier, since he still had a year left on his City contract, but said City’s sporting director confirmed the club would let him leave once speculation about a departure surfaced.
The two deals reflect very different profiles: Silva is an attacking specialist, while Rodri operates as a holding midfielder and metronome. Rodri’s move reportedly carried a €76.5 million transfer fee and a salary in the region of €30 million a year, figures tied to a player still under contract and coming off a strong World Cup. Silva’s switch to Real Madrid, by contrast, is said to have included a €10 million signing bonus, a €10 million agent fee, and roughly €20 million a year for three seasons plus taxes – a package Barcelona’s own offer reportedly fell well short of matching.