Rui Faria on the Bernardo Silva Transfer Missed by Manchester United

Manchester United’s summer of upheaval is unfolding under Michael Carrick, but one revelation from the club’s recent past offers a sharp reminder of what might have been at Old Trafford.

Rui Faria, Jose Mourinho’s long-time lieutenant and former United assistant, has disclosed that he pushed for the signing of Bernardo Silva back in 2017 – only to watch the Portuguese playmaker cross the city and build a glittering legacy at Manchester City instead.

The transfer that never happened

Faria, who followed Mourinho to United in 2016 after a 17-year partnership that spanned six clubs, was convinced that a 22-year-old Silva was the right fit for United’s next era.

“Bernardo Silva is a fantastic player. I remember recommending him to Manchester United in 2017, when he was 22,” Faria recalled in an interview with AS. “We tried, but it wasn’t possible, and he ended up at their city rivals.”

United hesitated. City didn’t. The rest reshaped a decade of Premier League football.

Silva went on to become one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants, winning six Premier League titles and capping his time at the Etihad with Champions League glory in 2023. The kind of influence United have spent years – and millions – trying to replicate in their own midfield and attacking lines.

From Manchester to Madrid

This summer, the story took another twist.

Silva walked away from City after nine trophy-laden years and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, linking up at last with Mourinho, who has returned to the Bernabeu for a second spell in charge.

For Faria, the move closes a circle of sorts. He had wanted Silva in red at Old Trafford; instead, the midfielder will now wear white in Madrid and attempt to tilt the balance of power in La Liga.

“If he’s fit, he can be a game-changer for Real Madrid,” Faria said. “He’s a player with tremendous technical ability, a great understanding of the game, and exceptional intelligence.”

Mourinho has finally got his man. The mission is clear: wrestle the league title back to the Bernabeu with Silva as a central figure.

United looking on, and looking ahead

While Real Madrid and City adjust to life with and without Silva, United face a different kind of reset.

Carrick, preparing for his first full season as head coach, is tasked with closing the gap to Arsenal and City after a third-place finish last term. The Premier League landscape is shifting: Guardiola has departed City, Silva is gone, and Rodri’s future is uncertain. Opportunity is there, but only for a club ruthless enough to take it.

United have not always been that club. Faria’s story underlines it. A transformative talent identified early, a recommendation made from inside the coaching staff, and yet the deal never materialised. City moved decisively; United watched a potential cornerstone of their rebuild become a symbol of their rivals’ dominance.

Faria’s United chapter

Faria knows that period at Old Trafford as well as anyone. He spent exactly two years at United under Mourinho, from 2016 until the end of the 2017/18 season, before stepping away to spend more time with his family and bringing an end to his long professional association with the Portuguese coach.

He briefly resurfaced as manager of Al-Duhail in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and now works as a technical observer for UEFA, compiling reports on Champions League matches. Still close to the elite game, still watching the kind of players he once tried to bring to Manchester.

A sliding-doors moment

As United’s new hierarchy under Ineos weighs the rest of this transfer window, Faria’s admission lands like a quiet warning.

In 2017, Bernardo Silva was there for the taking. Identified, recommended, available. United passed, City pounced, and a generation of Premier League battles tilted blue.

Now, with Carrick searching for the signings to spark a genuine title push, the question hangs over Old Trafford: will the next Bernardo Silva slip through their fingers as well?