Bernardo Silva fades at Mourinho’s Real Madrid: eight minutes in two games | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva is going through an unexpected spell at Real Madrid. The Portuguese midfielder joined Los Blancos this summer after his contract with Manchester City expired, but his role has steadily diminished to the point that he is now practically out of José Mourinho’s plans.

In the last two LaLiga matches, the midfielder played only eight minutes. Against Elche, he did not feature at all, while in the derby against Atlético Madrid he came on in the closing minutes and still managed to provide the assist for Antonio Rüdiger’s goal.

From being close to Barcelona to a secondary role in Madrid

The situation is especially striking because of what happened during the summer transfer window.

Bernardo Silva was able to negotiate with any club after his contract with Manchester City ended. His priority was reportedly to sign for Barcelona, but the financial conditions and his desire to have a leading role ultimately pushed him away from the Catalan club.

Deco later admitted that the possibility had been on the table.

“We have our own parameters, and it was not the position we were looking for. On top of that, it came down to money and playing time — he wanted to play. If he sees things differently from us, there’s nothing we can do,” explained Barcelona’s sporting director.

Atlético Madrid had also reportedly shown interest, but in the end Bernardo chose to wear white.

Mourinho prefers Valverde and Tchouaméni

The start of his Madrid adventure was promising. Bernardo started in the first two LaLiga matchdays, against Espanyol and Real Sociedad.

However, his involvement has gradually declined. In the last five league matches, he has only appeared in the starting eleven against Rayo Vallecano, in the 4-1 win.

He also missed Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan due to suspension.

Mourinho has mainly chosen to field a double pivot of Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni. The Uruguayan has started every match this season, while the Frenchman has regained prominence after recovering from injury.

Bernardo still has not found his place

The problem for the Portuguese midfielder is that he has also failed to establish himself in any other position.

Neither as a central midfielder, nor in the double pivot, nor on the right wing has he managed to become a regular part of the team.

And all of this is happening while Real Madrid are struggling collectively and Barcelona lead LaLiga by six points over Los Blancos.

Bernardo Silva arrived in Madrid after being one of the most attractive names on the market and after previously coming close to joining Barcelona.

Now, however, the picture is very different: the player who was looking for a project where he could be a leading figure has been pushed into the background by Mourinho.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.