Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing Manchester United target and SL Benfica star Antonio Silva, as per Caught Offside.
After rising through the Portuguese giants’ youth system, the 22-year-old made his first team debut back in 2022 before establishing himself as a key starter.
The youngster has won a league title with Benfica and a couple of domestic cup competitions. Having displayed glimpses of his qualities in the Liga Portugal, Silva has secured his place in the Portugal national team, winning the Nations League last summer.
Now, Caught Offside claim that following a disappointing start this season, Liverpool have made reinforcing the defensive department their ‘number one priority’ in January.
So, they have compiled a list of targets with Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi at the top. However, Arne Slot’s side have other names on their list as well, including Nico Schlotterbeck, Dayot Upamecano and Goncalo Inacio.
Moreover, Liverpool are keen on signing Silva and could make a concrete approach to secure his services. However, purchasing the Portuguese won’t be straightforward for the Reds, as Manchester United and Real Madrid are in this race as well.
Silva to Liverpool
Silva is valued at around £28m by Transfermarkt and has entered the final 19 months of his current contract. So, the Eagles might be open to letting him leave next year to avoid losing him for free.
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil Van Dijk have been the first-choice centre-back partnership for Liverpool, while Joe Gomez is the backup option. However, Konate has been displaying below-average performances with his existing deal set to expire at the end of this season.
On the other hand, Van Dijk has also failed to perform at his best thus far this season. Gomez has had injury problems in recent years, while new summer signing Giovanni Leoni has been ruled out for the rest of the season, having sustained a serious knee injury.
Silva is a talented player and possesses high potential. So, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Liverpool or Man Utd should either club purchase him, especially given he is expected to be available in a cut-price deal next year.
