Juventus Freeze Out Danilo, Benfica Refuse Silva Offer | OneFootball

Juventus have decided that Danilo is no longer part of their plans even though they aren’t yet close to adding a new defender, as Benfica turned down their first formal offer for Antonio Silva. The captain won’t take part in the trip to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa and will practice on his own afterward, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

The Brazilian international, who has just six months on his contract, would like to be let go for free so he could pick his next destination on his own. Napoli are the frontrunners, but other sides have shown interest too.

It remains to be determined whether Juventus will comply with the request from Danilo or ask for a small sum in return but, in the meantime, their opening proposal for Antonio Silva has been rejected. They tendered a six-month loan with a €5M initial fee and a €30M option to buy.

The Old Lady plots to try again with a different type of bid. He has appeared ten times across all competitions this campaign.

Our Take on Juventus, Danilo, and Antonio Silva

Thiago Motta and the front office must like Manuel Locatelli as a center-back because they have no alternative to their two starters, who could use a breather. They have a brutal stretch from mid-January on, so they have to be quick in landing an addition, also to get him acclimated. If they can commit that kind of money, they’ll find a team that bites eventually, but they might have to add an obligation to acquire.