Liverpool are reportedly keen on Benfica’s Antonio Silva ahead of the opening of the summer window.
CaughtOffside reports that the Portuguese wonderkid – who comes with a price tag of £85.4m – has been the subject of contacts from the Reds, Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Merseysiders are thought to be in the market for defensive reinforcements, particularly with Joel Matip calling time on his career at L4.
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An even better pass completion rate than Virgil van Dijk
FBref have the 20-year-old down as completing 92.9% of his passes per 90 compared to Virgil van Dijk’s 91.3%.
That said, we’d expect these figures to be negatively impacted by the pace and aggressive pressing styles present in the Premier League. If Silva were to make the switch to England, that is!
A more than respectable carrier of the ball, judging by the stats collated, we’d have no problem with the Benfica star partnering our No.4.
Though, he’d have to seriously improve his numbers in the air to be considered a serious competitor for our Dutch colossus. An average of 60.5% of aerial duels won per 90 this term falls considerably short of Van Dijk’s 81.4% in 2023/24.
The defence needs improvement. Trent can’t defend and others are left to cover for him leaving them out of position. A defensive midfielder is required, maybe Varela allowing others to move forward and help in attack. Van Dyke is past his best and needs replacing so let’s get the money for him and Salah and rebuild with younger players.