News Focus
- Bernardo Silva joins Real Madrid on free transfer after leaving Manchester City
- Portuguese midfielder signs two-year contract with the La Liga club
- 31-year-old spent nine years at City, winning 16 major trophies including six league titles
- Real Madrid also complete £51.8m signing of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella
- Silva rejected offers from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to move to Bernabeu
Real Madrid have secured the signature of Bernardo Silva. The Portugal international arrives at the Bernabeu as a free agent following the end of his contract with Manchester City.
The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Spanish giants. He departs Manchester after a successful nine-year spell where he collected 16 major honours, including six Premier League championships and one Champions League title.
Silva netted 76 goals in 460 matches for City. He originally joined the English side from Monaco in 2017. During his final campaign, he captained the team and featured in all 38 of their Premier League fixtures.
The midfielder attracted interest from other Spanish clubs. Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid presented offers, but Silva elected to join Real Madrid instead.
The club has been active in the summer market. They have also secured Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella in a deal worth £51.8 million. Additionally, the club extended centre-back Antonio Rudiger’s contract following the reappointment of head coach Jose Mourinho.
Cucurella, 27, cost Chelsea £63 million when they bought him from Brighton four seasons ago. He made 163 appearances for the Blues and lifted the Conference League and Club World Cup. Despite interest from several sides, the former Barcelona youth player insisted on joining Real Madrid.
This transfer is not connected to any potential deal for Enzo Fernandez. The midfielder stated in April that he would enjoy living in Madrid.
Silva will now represent his country at the World Cup. He is expected to play for Portugal in their Group K opener against DR Congo on Wednesday night.
Real Madrid expect to confirm further arrivals soon. The club plans to announce deals for free agent Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries after finalising the Cucurella transfer.