Deco, Barcelona sporting director
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
Barcelona sporting director Deco has revealed why Bernardo Silva ended up at Real Madrid, despite the Portuguese midfielder being heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou after deciding to leave Manchester City.
Earlier in the summer, Bernardo’s future had looked increasingly likely to involve Barcelona.
In fact, reports even claimed that talks had progressed significantly and that the midfielder was preparing for a move to Catalonia.
That momentum eventually disappeared, with Jose Mourinho playing a major role in shifting the situation towards Real Madrid.
For Deco, though, Barcelona’s decision was ultimately dictated by their own recruitment criteria rather than simply losing the player to Madrid.
Why Barcelona walked away from Bernardo Silva
Speaking about their interest, Deco said that Barcelona admired Bernardo but did not consider his position a priority.
Bernardo Silva was also linked to Barcelona before his Real Madrid move. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
“It wasn’t the position we were looking for. I love him – he’s one of the best in the world in his position and he’s Portuguese,” Deco told SPORT.
The sporting director also suggested that the player’s expectations regarding his role and playing time did not fit the club’s plans.
“He wanted to come to Barça, but it didn’t work out because we have certain criteria. If things go any further, there’s nothing we can do. It was a question of money and playing time.
“We’re not saying whether he’ll play or not. If his views differ from ours, there’s nothing we can do. He wanted to play, but I prefer to rely on our own players.”
Deco responds to Real Madrid and Rodri
Barcelona did lose Bernardo to their biggest domestic rivals, but Deco’s comments about Real Madrid were quite particular.
Rodri, Barcelona player
Rodri decided to go the other way. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
He acknowledged the quality available to Jose Mourinho’s team while making clear that Barça’s attention remains on their own campaign.
“They’ve got some brilliant players, a great manager – my manager at Porto. I wish them luck, though not against us.
“If they manage to build a team, it’ll be tough this season. We’ll just focus on our own game.”
Lastly, Rodri’s decision went the other way after the midfielder was also linked with Real Madrid before choosing Barcelona. When asked about his ‘no’ to Real Madrid, Deco refused to elaborate.
“You’ll have to ask him about that,” he concluded.
Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
The midfield pecking order at Real Madrid still remains unclear five games into the new season, especially given that Los Blancos could not make the signings they expected.
Federico Valverde has remained a constant in the double pivot under Jose Mourinho, but his partner has changed constantly.
Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva have been the manager’s primary options to partner Valverde in midfield so far this season, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s absence through injury has been one pioneering factors for the same. The Frenchman, however, is back now from injury and it remains to be seen how the dynamic changes.
The big game pair
As confirmed in a recent update on El Larguero, Jose Mourinho has decided his pivot his big games now and it will indeed be the Valverde-Tchouameni combination.
Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid
Mourinho has made his decision. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The Uruguayan star has made his presence felt this season with strong shifts in terms of pressing and an attacking output. He was even named the man of the match against Inter Milan and is seemingly undroppable.
What Tchouameni will bring to the table, however, is defensive solidity – something that is a non-negotiable given that the forwards barely provide any defensive work-rate.
Having Valverde and Tchouameni at the base of midfield will help cut short opposition buildups and disrupt the play.
Waters will be tested soon
Tchouameni made his much-awaited return to the field in Real Madrid’s game against Inter Milan and came on for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 79th minute.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid
There have been tense times between the duo. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
He briefly joined Valverde in the double pivot at the time and provided a glimpse of how the duo can work in tandem in the defensive midfield. However, the waters are yet to be tested adequately.
With the Frenchman now fit, Jose Mourinho could well look to start the duo together in Real Madrid’s coming games. They have played together in the past, but doing so in a double pivot in Mourinho’s system is demanding.
Moreover, there are concerns over the team’s drop in creativity and distribution with Valverde and Tchouameni at the heart of midfield, and it remains to be seen if the manager can come up with a workable solution.
After all, the players had a bad falling out on a personal level just months ago.