In a recent report, A Bola stated that Newcastle United are leading the race to land Benfica defender Antonio Silva this summer. It has been revealed that the Magpies are hoping to bring the Portuguese youngster to St. James’ Park this summer.
Silva’s Impressive Run Of Form In Portuguese Football Last Season
Silva enjoyed a solid campaign at the Portuguese club after he put in a string of impressive displays for them in the final third. The 20-year-old was involved in 50 matches for Benfica last season, finding the back of the net twice in multiple competitions.
The Viseu-born talent was a rock at the back based on his average of 2.1 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 3.0 clearances per game in Liga Portugal. He has even been excellent when distributing possession from inside his half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 93.1% in the Portuguese top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Portuguese football will run out in the summer of 2027. Hence, it won’t be easy for Newcastle United to get a deal done for him on the cheap this off-season.
Newcastle United Are Leading The Race To Land Silva: Is He A Prospect For The Future?
Silva is a tough-tackling defender who can read the danger well to make a few important interceptions for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind putting his through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive.
The Portuguese talent can even play his way out from the back. Standing at 1.87m, he can be a strong presence in the air as well. We can expect him to add more bite and steel to Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe’s defence.
Silva is more than capable of earning a regular playing spot at St. James’ Park in the coming seasons. At 20, he is undoubtedly a prospect to watch out for in the future, so Howe should focus on getting a deal over the line for him ahead of the new campaign.
However, there are some question marks over whether Silva can adapt to the high intensity of Premier League football if the Magpies manage to bring him to Tyneside before the end of this transfer period.
