Bournemouth have agreed a deal worth up to £25.7 million to sign Benfica defender Antonio Silva.
The Cherries have reached an agreement with the Portuguese giants worth an initial £21.4m, with a further £4.3m in performance-related add-ons. The 22-year-old Portugal international is now travelling to complete his medical.
Silva has been a top defensive target for Bournemouth following the departure of Marcos Senesi, who joined Tottenham on a free transfer earlier this month.
Club sources say negotiations required patience, with Benfica only agreeing to the transfer after Thursday’s Europa League qualifying victory over Swiss side St Gallen.
The highly-rated centre-back has been a first-team regular since breaking through at Benfica in 2022, featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup. Silva has also earned 20 caps for Portugal, having been part of the squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.
He is set to become Bournemouth’s second signing of the summer after the arrival of striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche in a deal worth up to £25.7m.
Under new manager Marco Rose, Bournemouth are looking to strengthen after last summer’s major player sales, which generated more than £200m. The club remain determined to keep hold of key players Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi, although Kroupi is expected to miss up to four months after suffering a pre-season injury.