Atletico Madrid have emerged as surprise contenders for the signature of Manchester City star Bernardo Silva this month, who is set to leave the club after nine years. Los Colchoneros have been linked with a number of players over the past few weeks, but Silva comes as a surprise.
The Portugal international is out of contract this summer, and will leave the Etihad, looking for a new side after the World Cup. For several years, Silva has been linked with Barcelona, but the Catalan side have reportedly turned down the chance to sign Silva, feeling that they have sufficient resources in midfield.
Atletico Madrid in the race for Bernardo Silva
Silva, 31, is considering his options, and has been linked most strongly with Juventus, but Chelsea and AC Milan have also been cited as potential destinations. Marca say that Atletico believe that Silva could raise the competitive edge of the squad, and believe that he could help fill some of the void left by Antoine Griezmann. Silva would immediately take on a leadership role at Atletico, and has plenty of experience.
Where could Bernardo Silva fit at Atletico?
One of the attractions of signing Silva is that he is a versatile player, and Diego Simeone could find different roles for him. This season Simeone has been generally using a 4-4-2/4-2-4 system, with two wide players and Griezmann generally playing off Julian Alvarez, with Alexander Sorloth sometimes the reference point. Silva could directly replace Griezmann playing off the forward – at times in bigger games Griezmann also dropped into midfield.
Depending on whether Simeone is prioritising width, he could also play out wide. Given he is still just 31 years old and would arrive on a free transfer, he seems like a good fit. It would raise questions about Alex Baena’s long-term position at Atletico though.
