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What is the story?
Bernardo Silva, 31, has agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of his contract with Manchester City after the club met all of his and his agent’s demands ahead of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but the Portuguese midfielder has decided to hold off on signing until next July for purely tax reasons.
According to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, “the Portuguese midfielder, who will turn 32 in August, will postpone his contract until July despite the deal being completed as both sides have agreed to wait a few days.”
The newspaper emphasized that “this delay is due to tax reasons only, because Bernardo Silva wants to spend as little time as possible in Spain in order not to pay 45% of taxes.”
The newspaper explained that Bernardo Silva is trying to prove that he did not stay in Spain for more than 183 days, as required by Spanish law, because by joining Real Madrid in July instead of June, he will spend less time in Spain in the 2026 tax year and thus avoid paying more than 45% of the annual tax imposed on residents in Spain for more than 183 days.
Former Monaco player Bernardo Silva was highly wanted by Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but Real Madrid managed to seal the deal after meeting all the demands of the player and his agent, in a deal that is set to be one of the most high-profile free transfers of the summer.
