José Mourinho, set to take charge at Real Madrid, has personally reached out to Bernardo Silva about joining him at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Silva, 31, is available on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City following nine years that included multiple Premier League titles.

From cold call to priority target

About two months ago, Jorge Mendes, Silva’s agent, floated the idea of his client joining Real Madrid. The club reportedly said no, largely because there was no clarity on who would be managing the team.

Mourinho’s impending arrival changed the calculus entirely. Once his appointment became clear, Silva went from rejected pitch to primary transfer target. The personal contact between Mourinho and Silva was not a message relayed through intermediaries or a vague expression of interest planted in the press.

Silva’s options narrow, or widen

Before Mourinho entered the picture, Silva had been in discussions with both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, according to reports from Spanish outlets.

Silva has reportedly paused those negotiations and is waiting to see what Real Madrid puts on the table.

What this means for Real Madrid’s rebuild

The free transfer aspect makes this compelling from a financial perspective. Signing a player of Silva’s caliber without paying a transfer fee frees up resources that can be deployed elsewhere in the squad.

Nothing is confirmed yet. There are no official communications from Real Madrid, Silva’s camp, or Manchester City. The situation is still fluid, informed largely by reporting from Spanish media outlets like AS and various football sources that began picking up the story in early June.