Chelsea enter the race to sign Antonio Silva

Chelsea have reportedly entered the race with Manchester United to sign Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva this summer.

The 20-year-old is one of the most sought-after central defenders in Europe following his fantastic development at Benfica.

Silva only made his senior debut in September of last season, but he has since become an assured starter in Benfica's backline.

United are one of those keeping tabs on the hugely-talented star, but Fichajes claim that the Blues could compete for him too.

Mauricio Pochettino has urged the hierarchy to spend big on a young centre-back and Silva is one of his priority transfer targets.

The defender is currently protected by a €100 million release clause in his deal, but Benfica could negotiate a slightly lesser figure.

Chelsea may still need to sell players to afford the defender. They may need to recoup around €110m to balance their books by June 30.

With the lack of Champions League football for two years running, they are apparently on the cusp of breaching Financial Fair Play limits.