Bernardo Silva’s move to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami faces financial obstacles despite reports
Bernardo Silva has been strongly linked with a potential move to Inter Miami to play alongside Lionel Messi, with his contract set to expire in June 2026. However, despite the reports connecting him to the MLS club, the Herons will face significant financial hurdles to get the deal done.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter Miami have identified Bernardo Silva as an attractive target for the second half of the 2026 season. The Portuguese midfielder will not be continuing at Manchester City once his contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and with his 32nd birthday arriving in August, his agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly begun working to find his client a new club.
While Mendes is one of the most powerful agents in the game and the draw of playing alongside Lionel Messi is undeniable, Inter Miami will not be the only suitor. Beyond the Herons, Mendes is reportedly fielding interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia, with Juventus, Galatasaray and Benfica, the club where Silva came through as a youth player, all considered concrete options.
Bernardo Silva remains a key figure both for the Portugal national team and at Manchester City, where he serves as captain and wears the armband in every game he starts. With 42 appearances for the Citizens this season, contributing three goals and five assists, he could follow the path of players like Son Heung-min and Rodrigo De Paul by making the move to MLS while still performing at a high European level.
Would Bernardo Silva’s signing be financially viable?
With the CONCACAF Champions Cup as the primary objective for the 2026 season, Inter Miami invested heavily in squad reinforcements, spending over $40 million on several signings, with German Berterame the headline addition at $15 million from Monterrey. Now that the club fell short of even reaching the quarterfinals, the Herons are left chasing MLS glory with limited financial flexibility.
As published by MLS in February, Inter Miami currently have the second-lowest amount of available 2026 General Allocation Money in the league, with just $17,361 remaining. With only the LA Galaxy holding less at zero dollars, pulling off a signing of Bernardo Silva’s caliber will be an enormous challenge.
With his contract expiring on June 30, Inter Miami would not owe Manchester City a transfer fee. However, Silva is currently the second-highest-paid player at City behind Erling Haaland, earning $26.7 million per year ($21.4 million base salary plus $5.3 million in bonuses), a figure well beyond what the Herons could realistically offer.
Now approaching 32, it is unlikely any European club would match that salary either, but Inter Miami’s position is no more favorable. At present, the only realistic path to landing Bernardo Silva would involve the club selling off several current players to free up enough GAM, while also clearing at least one of their Designated Player slots, all of which makes this particular deal look closer to a long shot than a done deal.