Manchester United should join Real Madrid in the race to sign Benfica sensation Antonio Silva.
The 19-year-old has had a tremendous breakthrough season with the Portuguese giants and he has already made 30 appearances in all competitions.
According to Record (page 18), Madrid are now watching the young centre-back with close attention with a view to signing him at the end of the campaign.
Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain are also mentioned as candidates to sign the wonderkid and in our opinion, the Red Devils should join the pursuit.
Silva would be a superb long-term signing for United
The teenager has been exceptional for Benfica in his debut season. He has completed 92 per cent of his passes in the Primeira Liga and Champions League.
Meanwhile, he has registered an impressive 1.8 tackles and 3.4 clearances per outing. Silva has also excelled with his ability to win ground and aerial duels.
The 19-year-old definitely has the potential to become a world-class player and there are no surprises that Madrid are weighing up a formal move for him.
In our view, United should enter the race to sign the talented centre-back, who could be seen as a long-term replacement for Raphael Varane in the line-up.
With Harry Maguire likely to move on this summer, Silva could fit in perfectly as a back-up and should see plenty of minutes with Varane’s obvious injury record.
One major hurdle towards a transfer could be Benfica’s transfer valuation for the wonderkid, who has been described as the ‘new Ruben Dias‘ by Goal.
Silva is currently protected by a release clause worth £88 million, as per Record. Benfica are likely to hold out for a fee very close to that figure in the summer.
Whether United will make such a huge outlay is a big question mark as they may prioritise a marquee striker and central midfielder in the next transfer window.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and WhoScored.com
