Antonio Silva: Bournemouth Complete £25.7m Signing of Portugal Defender From Benfica
Bournemouth have completed the signing of Antonio Silva from Benfica, with the deal worth an initial £21.4m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons, taking the total to £25.7m, Sky Sports reports.
The move fills the gap left by Marcos Senesi, who departed the club over the summer. Silva, who prefers the left side of a back line, is seen as a direct replacement in that role.
At 22, the centre-back already has 237 appearances for Benfica behind him. He's a full Portugal international with 20 caps, having featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar aged 19, at Euro 2024, and in Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumph last year. He was also named the best defender in the Portuguese top flight for the 2022/23 season.
Speaking after the move, Silva said he was excited to get started: "It's a pleasure to play for Bournemouth and in the Premier League. I can't wait to start the season with my team-mates."
For Bournemouth, it's a statement of intent, a young, physically strong, ball-playing defender with genuine international pedigree and winning experience arriving to shore up the back line ahead of the new season.
