Man Utd keens to hire 20-year-old defender Antonio Silva

Red Devils are desperate to bring in Benfica defender Antonio Silva and is ready to activate his €100 million release clause to bring him to Old Trafford. The 20-year-old central defender is one of the defensive options that Man United continues to monitor, following Silva's development since breaking into the first team at the start of last season. Bringing in a new centre-back is considered one of the Red Devils' priorities in 2024.

Silva has several admirers across Europe with Real Madrid and Chelsea also among the clubs monitoring his progress, but according to Germany's Sky Sports, Man United is intent on signing him and is willing to meet his release clause. The Portuguese club Benfica is confident Silva will remain at the club until the end of the season, but they will not be able to prevent him leaving in January if his release clause is met.

The Portuguese giant lost Enzo Fernandez in a similar situation in the January transfer window, when EPL side Chelsea came with their offer. Silva has emerged as one of the best young talents in Europe with the Red Devils seeing him as their dream player. The Portuguese national team player now wants to leave Benfica, according to the report and is currently under contract until 2027.

However, it remains to be seen what Man United can afford to spend in January. Reports have suggested the club will be limited to making cut-price deals or loans in January due to financial fair play restrictions, with the situation also complicated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to acquire 25% of the club.

Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane formed a formidable centre-back partnership last season, but the Argentina international is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery on his foot for the second time this year. Meanwhile, Varane is no longer a mainstay at Old Trafford, starting only one of their last nine games with reports suggesting his relationship with Erik ten Hag has deteriorated.

Harry Maguire has returned to the team, forming a long-standing partnership with Victor Lindelof, with 35-year-old Jonny Evans given more game time than Varane when he was fit this season. Apart from Silva, the Red Devils are also interested in signing Benfica teammate Joao Neves, a talented midfielder who fills the void left by Fernandez's departure. This 19-year-old player has a release clause of £105 million in his contract.