Newcastle United are considering a €50 million offer for Antonio Silva
According to Jornal de Noticias via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are willing to offer €50 million to sign Antonio Silva. Benfica is protected by a €100 million release clause, but the Magpies are eager to get the deal done on the cheap, though they might end up asking for more money from the Premier League giants.
Newcastle United are eager to bring in new defenders in this window, as they do have a significant problem at the back. The serious injuries to Sven Botman and Jamal Lascelles have left them short at the back, which has already forced Eddie Howe to rethink the club’s summer priorities.
They have a number of names on their defensive shortlist, and now Newcastle might have added Antonio Silva. The Magpies are reportedly willing to make a €50 million offer, which would comprise €35 million in fixed payments and the rest in add-ons. This is effectively half of his €100 million release clause.
Newcastle is eager to make headway in this chase, believing that Silva wants a more significant challenge than Benfica. However, the Portuguese club is likely to ask for more money to sanction a deal, which could make the Magpies rethink.
Silva has plenty of interest from top clubs, but none have so far come through with a concrete enquiry. This does give Newcastle United some hope they can negotiate a good enough deal with Benfica, as Eddie Howe is intent on bringing in a top-notch right-footed defender.
Many have asked whether they immediately intend to replace Fabian Schar, considering the type of players Newcastle has pursued so far. The Silva interest indeed points to that, and so does their chase of Max Kilman, having already seen a bid rejected by Wolves.
The Magpies need to strengthen their position, as they are keen on mounting a challenge for a top-four place next season. However, they will only sign one of Kilman or Silva, as they have made similar proposals for the defenders.
