Chelsea to make bid for Antonio Silva

Chelsea are to make an approach for Portuguese centre-back Antonio Silva from Benfica after being impressed with the 21-year-old's performances for his current club in the FIFA World Club Cup. The Portuguese international has been on the books at Benfica since 2016 as a youth player and is said to be keen on a transfer to a Premier League outfit.

Having made his breakthrough in 2022, the player then appeared for Portugal's national team and has gone from strength to strength. The Blues have been keeping tabs on the youngster for over 18 months and are said to be ready to match the 65 million euro price tag for the defender. Last season the centre-back appeared in the Primeira Liga 23 times, scoring one goal, but caught the eye of many of Europe's top clubs.

Benoit Badiashile was forced off on crutches in Chelsea's last game, offering a major concern for Enzo Maresca ahead of the new season, as the club look to add strength to their defensive ranks.

It is understood that Chelsea are to open talks with a 50 million euro transfer bid for Silva this week.