BOURNEMOUTH SIGN SILVA FROM BENFICA FOR £26M

Bournemouth have signed Portugal defender Antonio Silva from Benfica in a deal worth up to almost £26m. The 22-year-old has joined the Premier League club on a permanent transfer after breaking into Benfica's first team in 2022. Silva told the Bournemouth website he was excited to join and stated his intention to help the club compete for trophies.

Silva has made regular appearances for Benfica in domestic, European and international competitions, including the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup. He holds 20 caps for Portugal and was included in squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, though he was not selected for the latter tournament. Bournemouth identified the signing as a priority following the free-transfer departure of Marcos Senesi to Tottenham earlier this month. According to club sources, an agreement was only finalised after Benfica's Europa League qualifying-round victory over St Gallen on Thursday.

Silva is Bournemouth's second summer signing following the arrival of striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche in a deal worth up to £25.7m. Manager Marco Rose leads a squad that sold more than £200m worth of players last year. The club has stated its determination to retain three key players — Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi — despite external interest, though Kroupi is currently sidelined for three to four months following a pre-season training injury.