Benfica sell António Silva to Bournemouth for €25m | OneFootball

Silva said goodbye to Benfica this week [Getty Images]

Portugal defender António Silva has travelled to England to complete his move to Premier League side Bournemouth, after Benfica agreed a sale which could exceed €25m.

According to various reports, the transfer will see Bournemouth pay €25m up front, with a potential further €5m in add-ons depending on Silva’s progress with the Cherries. Silva is currently on the south coast of England to undergo his medical ahead of an official confirmation.

Silva gave an emotional farewell to the Benfica fans after his final appearance for the club on Wednesday, applauding the supporters as Benfica defeated St Gallen 5-0 to advance in the Europa League qualifiers. It was Silva’s 183rd outing for his boyhood club, which began when he made his senior debut four years ago this month against Boavista under Roger Schmidt.

Benfica must now work to secure a replacement, with Marco Silva avoiding direct discussions about Silva after the St Gallen victory but emphasising that “If a central defender is leaving, the Benfica structure is doing everything possible to bring in a new one as quickly as possible” as the club enters the final month of the transfer window. Slavia Prague’s Štěpán Chaloupek is believed to be a firm candidate, with the 23-year-old valued at around €12m after appearing for Czechia at the World Cup.

The €25m fee received for Silva would make him the 9th most expensive sale of players developed in Benfica’s academy, just behind Gonçalo Guedes, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for €30m, while the list is headed by João Félix’s departure to Atletico Madrid in 2019, which earned the Lisbon club a club-record €127m.