Mourinho, Bernardo and Mendes: they change the rules of the market between Barça and Madrid
With the landing of the Portuguese technician in the white set, the football superagent recovers influence with Florentino Pérez
BarcelonaThe arrival of José Mourinho at Real Madrid generates a change in the paradigm of the wide range of signings managed and controlled by super-agent Jorge Mendes. The Portuguese representative and problem-solver has operated quite a bit in recent years with Barça, as he maintains a good understanding with president Joan Laporta. This is how, for example, operations such as the landing of footballers like João Félix three seasons ago at the blaugrana discipline can be read. Although it was not a request from Xavi Hernández, who was then still the blaugrana coach, Mendes brought him to Barça with Laporta's approval because the super-agent, in the same way that he unblocks operations for club directors – he has been in charge of solving hot potatoes like Ansu Fati's – also uses his influence to satisfy the wishes of his players.
Mendes, who made a fortune with Cristiano Ronaldo, his first major client in the world of football, is also the agent of José Mourinho and Bernardo Silva. With the return of the wayward coach to the team presided over by Florentino Pérez, the representative regains weight and influence at Real Madrid. This is one of the keys to understanding why Bernardo Silva, who had a succulent offer from Atlético de Madrid on the table and, also, the option to come to Barça, is considering accepting Madrid's offer. Although it has always been distilled from his environment that the blaugrana entity was a destination he wanted to play for, the conditions offered by the Catalan club, both economic and sporting plan, have encountered a last competitor in recent days: Real Madrid. Following José Mourinho's insistence, Los Blancos have entered the scene offering him a better salary – practically double what Barça was proposing – and the former Benfica coach has also conveyed to him that he awaits him with open arms.
On the other hand, Barça is in a tighter financial situation and has pending issues to resolve – such as the departure of Marc Casadó and Roony Bardghji to make space for the Portuguese midfielder–, factors that imply time before closing the deal. Signing a talented footballer like Bernardo Silva, who has over 600 elite matches under his belt and has won countless titles – including the Champions League and the Premier League – was a market opportunity for the Catalan club, but not a priority operation, unlike signing a top-tier center forward after Robert Lewandowski's departure. Unlike Real Madrid, Barça has its midfield positions covered with a starter and a substitute practically for each role.
It is not the first time that Bernardo Silva's name has been linked to Barça.After almost a decade in English football, the former Benfica and Monaco player wanted to play in La Liga and also live in Spain. In this regard, the white team's proposal seduces him, both economically and sportingly: Madrid is lacking a midfielder profile like the one Bernardo Silva represents. The player, currently without a contract, also does not want to prolong the resolution of his future too much and expose himself to the risk of injury during the World Cup and be left in a precarious situation. "I will try to be in a team where they want me, where I feel truly loved. That is very important to me," he said after the Portuguese national team's friendly against Chile last Saturday. Portugal debuts in the World Cup next Wednesday (7 PM) against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Xavi Hernández wanted to sign Bernardo Silva
It is not the first time that Bernardo Silva's name had been linked to Barça. In fact, he was one of the most coveted pieces by Xavi Hernández when the Terrassa-born coach took over the Barça bench and tried to sign him in both the summer of 2022 and 2023, when Ilkay Gündogan finally arrived, free of contract. Even then, the footballer wanted to wear blaugrana and move his family home to Barcelona, but the club's penalized fair play as well as City's few facilities to release a very important asset for Pep Guardiola turned it into a chimera. Bernardo wanted to come to Barça, but he also had no intention of confronting the citizen team.
