La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly unwilling to cough up €100 million to sign Portuguese defender Antonio Silva.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Antonio Silva is a target for Real Madrid. But the reigning La Liga champions are hesitant to trigger the release clause, worth €100 million, to secure the services of the Benfica defensive sensation.
Antonio Silva spent his formative years with three clubs before graduating from the Benfica academy. The Portuguese centre-back had short stints with Penalva do Castelo, Repesenses, and Viseu United before joining Benfica. And he made swift progress in the Portuguese club’s youth division.
The 19-year-old made his first-team debut at the onset of the ongoing season. And the youngster has become a regular for Benfica, turning out 20 times thus far this term. Silva’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with Real Madrid reportedly among his prospective suitors.
Real Madrid will likely need to invest in a centre-back in the summer transfer window. That is because Nacho faces an uncertain future at the Santiago Bernabeu amid long-dragging contract renewal talks. The Spaniard will leave Real Madrid as a free agent as things stand, putting them in a spot of bother.
In addition, it is unclear if Jesus Vallejo will continue at Real Madrid beyond the ongoing season. The Spanish defender is at the bottom of the pecking order for centre-backs and might look to resurrect his career amid interest from several La Liga clubs. Silva has thus emerged as a viable target for Los Blancos.
But the Portuguese defensive sensation has a release clause worth €100 million in his Benfica deal. And the valuation poses a problem for his prospective suitors while strengthening Benfica’s position. Meanwhile, the report adds that Real Madrid will unlikely be open to shelling out €100 million to sign Silva.
The reigning La Liga champions are instead likely to pursue some other central defender, with Josko Gvardiol a top target. As for Silva, he should continue with Benfica for the foreseeable future, with his release clause making him an unrealistic target for most suitors.
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