PSG targeting Benfica center-back to bolster defensive depth

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly in the market for defensive depth and Benfica’s Antonio Silva is one of their top-priority targets.

This is as per Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Italia, who has added that the Parisians have been in the market for a centre-back since Milan Skriniar’s injury earlier this month.

Several names have been floated around to make the move to the Parc des Princes. This includes Maxence Lacroix (VfL Wolfsburg), Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) and Nayef Aguerd (West Ham).

However, PSG reportedly only have a €20 million budget for a defender, meaning they will have to look elsewhere. This is where Portuguese defender Antonio Silva comes in, who is also a target for Manchester United.

Having come through the youth ranks at Benfica, Silva made his senior team debut in 2022. Since then, he has made 70 appearances for the senior team, scoring seven goals in the process. He has played in all but one of his club’s games this season and has also made seven appearances for the Portuguese national team.

Standing at nearly 6-foot-2, Silva is a right-footed centre-back who possesses great ball-playing and carrying abilities. He is adept in the air and can also read the game very well, something that helps him defend better. Despite being just 20, Silva has over six-thousand minutes of senior football under his belt.

Should PSG dive into the market to sign him, they will have to make a serious offer in the region of €30-35 million to convince Benfica. Being in the national team has also increased the player’s potential asking price.

However, getting a deal done in January seems far from possible. Benfica (42) are currently second to Sporting CP (43) in Liga Portugal by a singular point and Antonio Silva’s presence is vital to their defence.

PSG’s urgency to fill the void created by Skriniar’s absence will likely determine how this saga progresses.

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