Chelsea are plotting a swoop to sign Benfica’s centre-back Antonio Silva in the January transfer window, according to Ekrem Konur.
Having experienced several lapses in defence last season, there was optimism that the Blues were going to sign an experienced, combative centre-back, especially after the injury to Levi Colwill before the season commenced.
The Blues instead continued the season with largely the same crop of central defenders. At the same time, Mamadou Sarr and Aarón Anselmino, who were part of the club’s Club World Cup triumph in July, were sent on loan to Strasbourg and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.
Now, with six games played, the Blues’ need for a quality centre-back has been glaring, particularly in the defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, where defensive lapses saw the club lose 3-1.
It appears Chelsea are now spearheading efforts to salvage the situation, as Konur claims they are eyeing a swoop for the transfer of Silva to Stamford Bridge in the winter transfer window.
However, they face a major hurdle in signing the 21-year-old, as Benfica’s newly appointed manager, Jose Mourinho, is ready to rebuff any move for the youngster, as per the report.
Silva to Chelsea
The journalist adds that the Portugal international is highly rated at the club, and they believe any deal to sell him is now ‘unreachable’ as they won’t entertain any offers below £26m.
Having centre-backs who can defend in wide areas has been one of Chelsea’s frailties this season, as they’ve been caught and sometimes outpaced on counters and on transition.
Josh King’s controversially disallowed goal for Fulham and Kevin Schade’s opener for Brentford are clear indications of Enzo Maresca’s side’s inability to defend wide areas, especially during transitions.
This is an area Silva thrives in, as he’s also very comfortable moving into wide areas to defend, which is a beneficial attribute for a centre-back, especially in Maresca’s system.
He’s also efficient on the ball, regularly putting in line-splitting passes, and could also comfortably go long when required. Silva offers almost everything you’d want in a centre-back. He’s an elite tackler and is excellent in ground duels.
With Mourinho blocking his departure, it’ll be interesting to see if Chelsea will move to other targets or wait till next summer to try again with a suitable offer.
