Antonio Silva: Chelsea would “have no problem” paying Benfica’s asking price for Man United target | OneFootball

Manchester United may potentially have to ward off competition from Chelsea for the services of top defensive target Antonio Silva.

Silva is understood to be a player on United’s transfer wishlist ahead of the summer transfer window.

The centre-back position is an area of the pitch Sir Jim Ratcliffe is eager to bolster, with uncertainty looming over the future of stars like Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans.

Alongside Silva, the Red Devils have also been linked to Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Jean-Clair Todibo (OGC Nice), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen), Leny Yoro (Lille) and Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), just to mention a few names.

A recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that United contacted Silva’s agency to explore the possibility of luring him to Old Trafford.

The Benfica man has a €100m release clause in his current deal.

According to Fichajes, Chelsea have “put their sights” on Silva and see him as a perfect player to help them in their bid to return to the top.

“António Silva ‘s quality has attracted the attention of other big European teams in addition to Chelsea.”

“This high demand has inflated the purchase price of the player, which is estimated at around 100 million euros, this being an amount that the Stamford Bridge team would have no problem paying to try once and for all to recover the lost competitiveness in the last two years.”

The publication adds that amidst the mounting interest in Silva and the prospect of getting a mega transfer fee, Benfica are bracing for a “complex negotiation” as rival outfits aim to outdo each other.

The 20-year-old’s contract with the Liga NOS giants expires in 2027.

This coupled with the release clause leaves Benfica in a strong position during talks.