Liverpool are keen on adding to their defensive unit this summer and they have identified the Benfica defender Antonio Silva as a potential target.
The 19-year-old is reportedly on the radar of Manchester United and Manchester City as well. A report from Football Insider claims that Liverpool have now sent scouts to watch the player in action.
Apparently, the defender has a release close of £77 million in his contract and it remains to be seen whether the Reds are prepared to fork out a premium for him.
Silva is a prodigious talent with a big future ahead of him and he has all the attributes to develop into a world-class defender.
Playing for a big club in the Premier League would accelerate his development and a world-class coach like Jurgen Klopp will help him improve further.
Players like Joel Matip and Joe Gomez have been quite unreliable this season and Liverpool must look to bring in a quality central defender. In addition to that, Virgil Van Dijk has been quite error-prone this season.
Silva would be a quality long-term investment for Liverpool, but the reported asking price could be a bit of a problem for the Reds. Liverpool will have to bring in reinforcements in the middle of the park and spending £77 million on a defender might not be possible for them.
It will be interesting to see if Benfica are prepared to lower their demands and sell the defender for a more reasonable price this summer.