Aheed Abrar
SL Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva could cost interested clubs like Manchester United around £78 million in the future
Manchester United could end up paying SL Benfica up to £78 million in the future for centre-back Antonio Silva. The 18-year-old is having a breakout season with the Primeira Liga outfit.
The 18-year-old has turned the heads of Premier League clubs like the Red Devils and Liverpool. The two English giants are interested in the young defender’s signature.
Speaking to Caught Offside (h/t Express), transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed Benfica expect a huge sum for Silva in the coming future. While United are interested, it has not proceeded to anything concrete yet.
“Remember the name: Antonio Silva. He’s a top player for the future, of course he needs some time to improve his skills but Benfica are convinced he will be worth £70-78m in the future.
“I’ve seen some reports of Liverpool and Manchester United looking at him. For sure, top clubs are following him but it’s important to say that there’s still nothing serious or concrete, as of now.”
The 18-year-old has shown immense quality under Roger Schmidt in the current campaign. He has started in every Champions League game for the Eagles and held his own against sides like Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Primeira Liga outfit managed to defeat the Old Lady twice and got two draws against the Ligue 1 champions. The Portuguese club are on course to qualify for the round of 16 of the UCL.
United currently have Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-backs. The French and Argentine duo have been solid at the back for the Red Devils for most of the campaign.
Varane and Martinez’s form has led to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof’s game time dwindling at the club. They enjoyed plenty of time on the pitch in the last season.
However, it seems even the captain has fallen down the pecking order under the Dutch manager. Thus, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Maguire and Lindelof at Old Trafford.
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If either of them were to leave the club in the upcoming transfer windows, investing in a young defender would be wise for the club. And Silva has shown that he has the potential to become a top-quality centre-back with time.
