Bournemouth agree £26m deal for Benfica defender Antonio Silva

Bournemouth have reached an agreement with Benfica to sign Portugal international Antonio Silva in a deal worth up to £25.7 million, with the highly-rated defender now set to undergo a medical before completing his move to the Premier League.

The Cherries will pay an initial £21.4m for the 22-year-old centre-back, while a further £4.3m could be added through performance-related bonuses. The deal was finalised after Benfica’s Europa League qualifying victory over Swiss side St Gallen, allowing Silva to travel to England to complete the remaining formalities.

Silva arrives as Bournemouth’s long-term replacement for Marcos Senesi, who left the south coast club on a free transfer to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer. Club sources indicated that strengthening central defence had been a priority during the transfer window, with Silva emerging as the club’s preferred target.

One of Portugal’s brightest defensive prospects, Silva established himself in Benfica’s first team after breaking through in 2022. Since then, he has gained valuable experience in the Champions League, Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup while earning 20 senior caps for Portugal. He was included in his country’s squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, although he missed out on selection for this summer’s World Cup under Roberto Martínez.

The defender is expected to become Bournemouth’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of striker Álvaro Rodríguez from Elche in a deal worth up to £25.7m. The recruitment drive comes under new head coach Marco Rose, who is overseeing a squad rebuild after the club generated more than £200m in player sales over the past year.

Despite significant transfer interest in several first-team stars, Bournemouth remain determined to retain key players including Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi as they prepare for the new Premier League campaign. However, Kroupi is expected to miss the opening months of the season after suffering an injury during pre-season training that will keep him sidelined for three to four months.