Man Utd were 'hours' away from losing transfer target to Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp chat
Liverpool and Manchester United are facing more disappointment in the transfer market after missing out on Jude Bellingham as another one of their key targets is not convinced about a move to either club. Reports suggest the English duo have been weighing up a move for Benfica starlet Antonio Silva in the coming months, but the youngster is said to have reservations about the idea of leaving his club for the Premier League.
Benfica’s famous academy has produced another star for the future with Silva attracting interest from several clubs since breaking into the first team at 18. The Portugal international is still only 19, but his performances at international level and the Champions League have shown he is already worthy of being a first-team regular.
Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs to have sent scouts to get a closer look at Silva, but according to Portuguese newspaper Record, the player is not ‘dazzled’ by their interest, despite being linked with both clubs ‘many times’.
As it stands, he is happy playing for his boyhood club in Lisbon and wants to become a future captain for the Primeira Liga giants.
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Silva would be interested in joining one club, however, if Real Madrid were to step up their interest. The youngster sees the La Liga side as ‘the greatest club in Europe’ and a bid from them would trump anything offered by the English clubs. That does not appear likely in the near future, though, as Madrid are well-stocked with Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Nacho Fernandez on their books.
Benfica are notorious for demanding huge fees for their prized assets, and the same would apply with Silva as he has a £103.6million (€120m) release clause written into his contract.
Liverpool have also reportedly earmarked the centre-back as a long-term successor for Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, with both long-serving defenders turning 33 on their next birthday. Jurgen Klopp already has his understudy for Van Dijk in Ibrahima Konate, and Silva’s reputation as a ball-playing defender could have seen him slot in when Matip eventually departs.
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But the player’s reluctance to leave could now force them to switch to other targets in order to avoid a repeat of their failed chase for Bellingham.
The England international was a target for both clubs after it became clear he wanted to leave Borussia Dortmund for a new challenge, but the lure of joining 14-time European Cup winners Madrid was too tempting to turn down as opposed to returning to England.
The 20-year-old has proved to be an instant hit in the Spanish capital, bagging 10 goals in his first 10 games for Los Blancos. And unlike in the summer where Klopp and Erik ten Hag failed to sign Bellingham after chasing him for the better part of a year, they may now learn from the error of their ways by looking at alternative signings.
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