Liverpool are eyeing a move for Benfica defender Antonio Silva, as Jurgen Klopp aims to add a quality centre-back to his team ahead of the 2023/24 season.
An academy graduate at Benfica, Antonio Silva, 19, has worked his way up through the young ranks to become a mainstay at the heart of the senior team’s defence under Roger Schmidt. He has quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Primeira Liga, and his 40 first-team appearances for Benfica so far seem to have caught the attention of Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool are understood to have made the teenager one of their top defensive targets for the upcoming window as they believe he can be a terrific addition to their squad following the lacklustre displays of Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. The Reds have reportedly sent scouts to watch Antonio Silva live in action recently, with the Merseyside club considering making an official approach ahead of the new season.
Silva signed a professional deal with the Liga NOS club last summer that runs until 2027, but his current terms include a £77m buyout clause. Manchester City and Manchester United have also scouted the Portuguese, with Benfica braced for offers for their highly-rated defender at the end of the season.
Liverpool cool interest in RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol
Liverpool are understood to have pulled the plug on their pursuit of RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol.
Gvardiol, 21, is rated as one of the best young defenders in the continent, enhancing his already burgeoning reputation with a series of rock-solid displays for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Chelsea were keen to sign him last summer and saw a huge bid rejected by RB Leipzig during the final days of the window.
The Croatia international’s price tag has soared further which has apparently put off Liverpool, who want to spend the majority chunk of their summer’s transfer kitty in reinforcing their midfield options.
Antonio Silva on Liverpool’s radar
Recent reports of many defenders being linked with a move to Anfield are perhaps a sign of Liverpool looking at alternatives to Gvardiol. Benfica’s Antonio Silva is the latest name to appear on the Reds’ wishlist ahead of the upcoming summer window.
At 19, Silva is very young and still learning his trade. Obviously, he doesn’t have any experience of Premier League football, but having played in the Champions League and been a part of the Portugal squad at the World Cup in Qatar, he could be an exciting signing for the long-term future for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Liverpool’s defensive flaws has been exposed multiple times this campaign, with none of their current four senior central defenders meeting the high standards. Klopp wants to address his team’s defensive problems, and the highly-rated Silva could be an answer. So, this deal is a no-brainer for the Reds to complete should the opportunity to sign the Benfica starlet arise.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
