António Silva
António Silva
Bournemouth’s move for António Silva appears to be entering its final stages, but Benfica have made one last request before allowing the defender to head to the Premier League.
After reports earlier this week that the 22-year-old had agreed personal terms with Bournemouth and that negotiations between the clubs were progressing quickly, Portuguese newspapers now claim Benfica are trying to postpone the transfer for sporting reasons rather than contractual ones.
According to Record, the Lisbon club have asked António Silva to delay his departure so he remains available for Benfica’s opening Europa League qualifier against St. Gallen.
The newspaper reports the defender’s desire to move to the Premier League has not changed, but Benfica hope he will agree to stay a little longer before completing the switch.
Benfica ask defender to wait
The request reflects Benfica’s shortage of options in central defence. Marco Silva is preparing for his first competitive matches in charge of the club, but Clément Lenglet only recently joined the squad and Tomás Araújo does not return from his post-World Cup holiday until next week.
That leaves António Silva as one of the few experienced central defenders fully available for the Europa League second qualifying round against St. Gallen on 23 and 30 July.
Record say Benfica expect the Portugal international to accept that request before travelling to England.
A Bola report the same intention from Benfica, explaining the club want to keep their captain until the end of the month despite the transfer being virtually complete.
Transfer close, timing still unresolved
While Benfica are asking for patience, António Silva’s preference is different. According to A Bola, the defender would rather complete the move as soon as possible, meaning Benfica must now convince him to delay a transfer that is otherwise close to being finalised.
The newspaper reports negotiations between the clubs have advanced rapidly in recent days, with only minor details left to resolve.
Correio da Manhã also state Benfica are intentionally slowing the process because of the lack of defensive alternatives.
The newspaper adds that the criticism aimed at António Silva following Benfica’s 2-1 pre-season defeat to Flamengo strengthened the defender’s desire to continue his career in the Premier League, even though Marco Silva still wants him available for the opening European ties.
Only the final details remain
Portuguese reports differ slightly on the financial package. A Bola believe Benfica will receive around €20m (£17.3m), while Record suggest the final deal could rise to approximately €25m (£21.6m) through bonuses.
Regardless of the final figure, the consensus in Portugal is that the transfer itself is no longer the issue. Instead, the discussion has shifted to timing.
Bournemouth are expected to land António Silva, but Benfica are hoping their academy graduate will postpone his Premier League move long enough to help the club through the opening hurdle of the new campaign before saying goodbye.