Chelsea’s biggest problem recently has been their leaky defence, however an option has become available for the summer that would prove an absolute steal.
Liam Rosenior is struggling to find a settled centre-back partnership in the absence of Levi Colwill, with no one stepping up and making themselves undroppable this season.
This is despite big money being spent in the past on the likes of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, and promising young talents like Josh Acheampong and Mamadou Sarr coming through.
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Chelsea target Antonio Silva available for just £13m
When it comes to options Chelsea have been linked with to strengthen this position, Benfica’s Antonio Silva has cropped up as a reported target a number of times.
Chelsea chiefs were impressed by Silva at the Club World Cup, and there were reports that he could cost his next club upwards of £80m if he was to move.
Benfica v Santa Clara - Portuguese Primeira Liga
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This situation has changed drastically now though. According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, the defender could be available for as cheap as £13m this summer.
He said: “António Silva could move in the summer, although SL Benfica want to extend his contract beyond 2027. The market is being explored, and there is also concrete interest from Bundesliga clubs. Estimated price valuation: around €15-25 million.”
It is widely known that Chelsea are looking for opportunistic signings, and they don’t get any better than this.
The 22-year-old has 35 appearances in all competitions, and was missed badly during their Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
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Jose Mourinho’s glowing review of Antonio Silva
At Benfica, Silva is currently featuring under Jose Mourinho. They are unbeaten in the Portuguese league so far this season.
Mourinho was previously been full of praise for Silva, particularly with how he is in training.
He said: “I have three central defenders of extremely high quality. There are other positions where I might have more difficulty developing players. There, it’s a fantastic guarantee. They work very well together, they have different personalities.
“In training, António is more exuberant than Tomás, but they are fantastic, young players. It’s a privilege to have Nico alongside them and to be able to learn from him. It’s not a problem at all.”
While a number of opportunistic signings have not gone to plan, this is one the Blues have to get amongst at the end of the season.
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