Manchester United mean business this summer. INEOS have wasted no time in bolstering Erik ten Hag's first team, tying up deals for dynamic forward Joshua Zirkzee and LOSC Lille's Leny Yoro.
Having fallen flat in the Premier League last season, United's bleak eighth-place finish was rectified one week later when Manchester City were defeated in the FA Cup final.
The thing is, Man United weren't good enough last year, but Ten Hag still emerged with his second piece of silverware in as many seasons; his advent brought the end of a six-year trophy drought.
Now, it's time to launch an offensive on those at the forefront of the top flight, narrowing the 31-point gulf from champions Manchester City. Dealings thus far have spoken of a step in the right direction, but the defence needs more attention, and that is where the focus lies.
Man Utd transfer news
Yoro, regarded as one of the most talented young defenders in the world, joined United in a deal rising to £59m after a high-profile battle for his signature.
Real Madrid, his favoured destination, were unwilling to pay the demanded figure, while other outfits including Liverpool had previously withdrawn from the race. United have landed an 18-year-old with the skillset tailored to long-term dominance at the apex of the European game.
Now, Sir Jim Ratcliffe hopes to reinforce United's backline once more, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs De Ligt two high-profile targets but both seemingly more unlikely by the day to join this summer.
As such, Thursday's edition of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo – via Sport Witness – suggests that Benfica's Antonio Silva could be the next to join the ranks, though his €100m (£88m) release clause might prove to be a sticking point.
The Old Trafford side have turned their attention to the 20-year-old after having troubles with other targets, and, crucially, INEOS are 'convinced' that they can negotiate a more affordable figure.
Antonio Silva's impressive rise
Barely into his professional career, Silva has accomplished much across his first two campaigns as a senior member of Benfica's senior set-up. Across this span, he has amassed 94 appearances and has scored seven goals, winning the 2022/23 Liga Portugal title.
His exploits in his homeland earned him a place in Roberto Martinez's Euro 2024 squad, and while the young defender endured a performance to be forgotten as Georgia defeated his nation in a final group stage clash – a dead-rubber match for already-qualified and much-changed Portugal – his skillset is certainly not negated.
Analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as "one of Benfica's best prospects", a "mature leader" with the "raw ability to be a top [centre-back]", and United could score a real hit in bringing him to a defensive line starting to boast a good sense of balance and depth.
Lisandro Martinez is one of the Premier League's best defenders, with Luke Shaw describing him as an "absolute monster" after his stunning debut season; Harry Maguire is an experienced leader in the rear; Jonny Evans, 36, belied his twilit years by producing solid displays in an injury-plagued defence last year.
With Victor Lindelof also on the books and Yoro recently welcomed, United might just find that they have the tools to restore their defence to its one-time vigour.
After all, Yoro and Silva could prove to be one of football's elite partnerships down the line, with the latter perhaps even boasting the quality to be the cream of the crop at the Theatre of Dreams.
Why Silva could be a "superstar"
It's October 2022, and Benfica have knocked Juventus out of the Champions League in the group phase after an extraordinary 4-3 victory at the Estádio da Luz. Silva, 18, opened his account after 17 minutes and issued a knee-sliding salute. He was here.
It was the gusto and guile of a player confident in their prodigious ability and future success at the very highest level, and it's quite likely that Old Trafford bosses were excited having sent scouts to watch the teenager earlier that month.
A hard-tackling and athletically robust centre-half, Silva is shaping up to be the complete package, actually ranking among the top 2% of defenders in Portugal last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
He differs from the expertly languid style of Yoro, and that could mark a fine sense of contrast in Ten Hag's unit over the years to come. Yoro's intelligence, spatial awareness, and reading of the game suggest that he has the trappings of a future world-class phenomenon.
Matches played
30
32
Matches started
29
30
Clean sheets
11
13
Goals
2
2
Pass completion
93%
92%
Touches per game
68.3
67.6
Key passes per game
0.1
0.1
Ball recoveries per game
6.0
3.9
Dribbles per game
0.4
0.3
Tackles per game
2.1
1.1
Interceptions per game
0.8
1.1
Clearances per game
3.0
3.0
Duels won per game
4.5 (67%)
3.3 (63%)
As the comparison table above highlights, both players, scarcely into their respective senior careers, produced an excellent level of performance last year, though Silva showed himself to be more effective and active in the duel and more mobile in his ground covering.
Pundit Jamie Carragher has even gone as far as to say that Silva is "going to be a superstar", in awe at the player's Herculean effort against Juventus almost two years ago.
The season ahead will prove to be a big one for the Portuguese talent, but with such an almighty set of qualities, he could just find himself completing Man United's backline and rising to the No. 1 spot at a club that threatens to return to its one-time imperiousness at the summit of Europe.
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