RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesManchester City superstar reveals Portuguese international’s secret wish after Real Madrid – ‘Always talked about Spain’
Real Madrid have already completed five signings this summer: Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Carlos Espi.
The Spanish club are also close to an agreement to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and are in negotiations with Manchester City to sign Rodri.
It is safe to say that it has been a blockbuster summer transfer window for Jose Mourinho upon his return to the club.
One other player Madrid were interested in earlier in the window was Josko Gvardiol, but the Croatian ended up signing a new contract at the English club.
Gvardiol: Bernardo always wanted Spain
Bernardo Silva wanted to move to Spain. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)
He has now admitted that he is not surprised Bernardo Silva ended up at Real Madrid, revealing that the Portuguese midfielder had spoken about returning to Spain for a long time.
Speaking about City’s summer departures to The Athletic , Gvardiol suggested Bernardo’s transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu fulfilled a long-held ambition.
“Bernardo being back where he belongs. He talked about Spain for a long, long time,” the Croatian said.
He also reflected on City’s squad changes, which have seen two of their leaders, Bernardo and Stones, leave this summer.
“How much have we lost? We will find out when we regroup at the start of the season, but we’re going to miss both of them,” Gvardiol explained.
Madrid have a long-term La Liga admirer in their ranks
Can Silva prove his credentials at Real Madrid? (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
For a long time, it always seemed that if Bernardo returned to Spain, it would be to play for Barcelona.
Even this summer, the Catalan club were the first in negotiations with the Portuguese midfielder. Subsequently, Atletico also entered the race.
It was only after Jose Mourinho’s arrival that Real Madrid pushed to sign Bernardo and wrapped up the deal in quick time.
For someone who has dreamed of playing in La Liga for as long as he has, there is no doubt that Bernardo will be determined to excel for Los Blancos .
High expectations await
Bernardo joins Real Madrid with a reputation as one of Europe’s most intelligent and technically gifted midfielders after years of success at Manchester City.
He is coming off an excellent season for Manchester City, where he played a lot of minutes and established himself as one of the first names for Pep Guardiola.
His versatility, work rate and experience should make him a valuable addition to Jose Mourinho’s squad, particularly as Madrid continue reshaping their midfield ahead of the new season.
The expectations are understandably high for Bernardo, and it remains to be seen how he gets on at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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