Man United want European centre-back but he’ll cost £85.5 million

Manchester United are expected to enter the summer transfer window with a long list of players to offload, but according to recent reports, one player the club are prioritising in terms of an incoming is Benfica’s Antonio Silva.

The Red Devils are set to overhaul the bulk of their squad with notable departures likely to include Raphael Varane and Donny van de Beek.

And while new shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be tasked with balancing the club’s books, assuming his recruitment team can trim the Red Devils’ squad, then according to Fichajes, the British billionaire will turn his attention to a multi-million-pound deal for a new centre-back.

Man United targeting huge Antonio Silva deal

Viewed as a top European defender in the making, Benfica’s number four is attracting some incredibly high-profile interest, and with United’s scouts circling in recent months, the Portuguese side are set to demand as much as £85.5 million (€100 million) in exchange for the young star.

How United will manage these negotiations remains to be seen, but with Antony’s move from Ajax costing just as much and the Brazilian flattering to deceive, it seems likely the Premier League giants will want to avoid a repeat.

Nevertheless, Silva looks like a proper player and one that, unlike Antony, will be able to make the transition to England’s top flight, so the temptation to bring him to Old Trafford may be too much for the 20-time league winners to resist.

Since being promoted to Benfica’s first team 18 months ago, Silva, who has three-and-a-half years left on his deal, has chipped in with seven goals in 79 games in all competitions.