Bernardo Silva, one of the stars of AS Monaco is a Benfiquista through and through. The Portuguese club plucked him up at the tender age of eight and from there, he rose through the club’s ranks quickly.
The 22-year-old winger progressed from the under 19 squad to the Benfica B team and then to the main side, where he was sent on loan to Monaco, scoring nine goals and impressing the club enough to warrant a permanent deal in France.
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Since then, he has played fixtures in the Champions League, continuing his form, scoring seven goals and an assist to help Monaco finish third in the league, in a Champions League spot. This season, however, has seen the young winger burst onto the football scene, with his presence and ability in the final third turning him into one of football's most coveted prospect - often drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi thanks to his incredible ball control and agility on the ball.
#5 Chelsea
When Monaco announced that they were ready to listen to offers for their young Portuguese, Chelsea was one of the first sides to announce their interest in the winger. However with Monaco settling for nothing less than at least £50 million, the 22-year-old will be an expensive buy, to say the least.
However, that hasn’t changed things for Chelsea with reports that the Blues have stepped up their interest in the winger, with the two clubs said to have begun talks over a potential £70 million transfer.
The Portugal international will be a brilliant asset to any club he joins not just for his quality going forward, but what will also appeal to manager Antonio Conte is the Monaco man's intensity off the ball, especially defensively. The winger has won possession back in the attacking third more times than any other player in Ligue 1 this season.
However, at Chelsea, the Italian manager has a lot of quality to choose from with Pedro, Willian and even Eden Hazard battling for a first team place at Stamford Bridge. But with Hazard, heavily linked with Real Madrid, the Portuguese youngster would be the perfect replacement for the Belgian star.
#4 Barcelona
Barcelona wanted to sign Bernardo Silva last summer but the move collapsed after Arda Turan refused a move to China. However, since then the club has kept a constant eye on the winger and watched him thrive on the big stage, the club is now interested in a move to bring the 22-year-old to the club.
While it's true that Silva is building a reputation as one of the most astute and capable midfield generals in Europe, the Portugal international is only just 22-years-old.
The youngster has an air of authority and is a player who can dictate games thanks to his vision, flair and intelligence, something that would make him click brilliantly with the Barcelona midfield. The youngster would make a brilliant replacement for Andres Iniesta, who is one of the most important player for the Catalans with his creativity and technical artistry in the middle of the park.
Summer signings Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes have not convinced the Barcelona management. The Portuguese youngster would be a brilliant signing and at the same time be extremely well suited for the team’s style of play, but luring him to Camp Nou will be no easy task.
#3 Bayern Munich
The German Champions are reportedly ready to challenge Chelsea, Manchester United and even Real Madrid for the 22-year-old’s signature during the summer transfer window, with Bayern Munich not afraid to spend money. Monaco has said that it will take at least a minimum of €50 million or more to acquire their prized asset, something that Bayern Munich can easily match.
With Xabi Alonso retiring, and both Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben not getting any younger, the club are extremely keen to bolster their squad during the summer window. The versatile Bernardo Silva could be exactly what the 26-time German football champions are looking for.
The Portuguese youngster is capable of playing on both wings or even as a more central figure playing aside both Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal occupying deeper roles – a scary prospect for opposition midfields.
Wth both Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman the only other possible options on the flanks, Silva could become an important first team player in the Bayern Munich squad, but it is unlikely that he will ignore interest from the Premier League to play in the Bundesliga.
#2 Manchester United
What makes Bernardo Silva such a teasing transfer to Manchester United is mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, he’s with the Gestifute agency operated by Jorge Mendes, who also represents Jose Mourinho among other people which include a number of players Mourinho has signed in the past and United stopper David de Gea. Secondly, he may be exactly the sort of player that the Old Trafford outfit could find a use for in six or 12 months’ time.
The 22-year-old has the ability to play anywhere in the front three behind the main striker – he’s rotated often during matches, which was especially evident against Manchester City and Spurs in the Champions League. Although the fact remains that Mourinho isn’t short of players in those positions, but Silva is an exciting young prospect who could become a world-class star.
The Red Devils boss is believed to be a huge admirer of the young Portugues winger and has even taken a step forward, having opened talks between the player and the Old Trafford club. However, Silva won’t come cheap as his current contract doesn’t expire for another three years and thus he may end up costing upwards of £70 million.
#1 Real Madrid
The Los Blancos are very keen to bring both Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva to the club, in an effort to soften the fact that their infamous BBC trio is slowly turning a corner in their careers. However, the Bernabeu side has always been extremely interested in Eden Hazard as a long term replacement for their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
But if they fail in their pursuit to land the Chelsea superstar, then Real can always do an about turn and march towards Monaco, who have already realised that they may lose a few key stars this summer.
The 22-year-old winger would be a perfect fit in Zidane’s line-up, and although he may not make the starting eleven immediately, the youngster will eventually become a regular starter in the Los Blancos’ line-up if he keeps up his current run of form.
Silva has scored 6 goals and recorded 9 assists in just under 30 league appearances for the Ligue 1 club, and has, along with a host of other young players, propelled Monaco to the top of the table by three points.
But what makes things even more interesting is that the Portuguese winger would prefer a move to Real Madrid over either Manchester United or Chelsea, although the 22-year-old has never made his reasons for the fact clear. However, he has also said that playing in the Premier League is an exciting prospect, so who knows what may happen once the summer transfer window arrives.
