Liverpool are likely to reinforce their backline this summer after Ibrahima Konate left on a free transfer to join Real Madrid.
In late 2025, Caught Offside named Benfica’s Antonio Silva as a ‘prominent’ target for the Reds when they were on the lookout for a central defender in the January transfer window.
Liverpool then moved quickly to snap up Jeremy Jacquet, who officially joined the club this summer after seeing off the rest of the 2025-26 campaign with Rennes.
And now, if Silva is still an active target for the Reds, they have just been handed a boost in the race to secure his signature.
Antonio Silva to leave Benfica this summer
Silva has been a household name in Portugal and has developed into a reliable central defender for club and country.
However, he was a surprise omission from Roberto Martinez’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad as Portugal opted to look elsewhere.
The 22-year-old has been with Benfica since making his professional debut, but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that he has rejected a contract extension from the club and wants to move on this summer.
Super-agent Jorge Mendes has been involved in the decision, with Benfica now open to proposals for their prized asset.
English media reported Liverpool’s interest as of December 2025, but since then, there haven’t been any concrete links.
Should Liverpool pounce?
Despite being just 22, Silva has a lot of senior football under his belt and has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world since he was a teenager.
In late 2023, Jamie Carragher tipped the young defender for greatness after he scored a goal and defended admirably in Benfica’s 4-3 win against Juventus.
“The first goal is from that young defender I have highlighted a couple of weeks ago, said Carragher via Liverpool Echo.
“I told you all about him, and there he is, Antonio Silva. I mentioned his defensive prowess. But goalscoring there as well. He is going to be a superstar.”
Yesterday, Andoni Iraola confirmed that Giovanni Leoni is months away from being fully fit for Liverpool as he continues to make his way back from his ACL injury.
Virgil van Dijk isn’t getting younger and Joe Gomez has had his fair share of injury struggles over the years, while Jacquet is new to the league and is also recovering from an injury of his own.
It remains unclear if Silva is still on Liverpool’s radar, but if the Reds want him, now would be the time to pounce as he has decided to leave Benfica.
