Bournemouth have made a move to bolster their defensive ranks less than a month before the new Premier League campaign, with the capture of Benfica's Antonio Silva.
The Cherries are set to pay around £26million to sign the Portugal international, who will become just their third new addition of the summer.
Who is Bournemouth's latest recruit? How will he fit into the English top-flight? We take a close look at the latest Portuguese star to join the Premier League ranks.
Age, nationality & background
Born on 30th October 2003, Silva is 22 years old. The defender was born in the city of Viseu and has represented Portugal at Under 16, Under 17, Under 18, Under 19, Under 21 and senior level.
Transfer fee and contract
Silva is contracted to Benfica until 2027, so Bournemouth have had to pay a transfer fee to acquire his services.
It's believed that the Premier League club will pay in the region of £26million, with £21.4million up front and £4.3million in add-ons.
The length of his contract at the Vitality Stadium has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be a three or four-year deal.
What to expect from Antonio Silva
Position
Silva is a centre-back who favours the right side and has been described as having "high tactical intelligence".
Height and build
The defender measures 6ft 2in (1.87m) and is more known for his technical ability, rather than his strength.
Style of play
Silva is a ball-playing centre-back who is capable of keeping possession, switching play and breaking the lines. His positional awareness is a big attribute, as is his mobility and technique on the ball.
Preferred foot
Although he prefers to use his right foot, the Portuguese star is said to be comfortable with both feet when in possession.
Style of play
Positional awareness is one of the strengths of Silva, who also has decent pace and is happy to play out from the back.
The defender has also been praised for his leadership qualities, showing maturity beyond his years.
Career so far
Previous clubs
Silva started his youth career at Penalva do Castelo, where he spent two years before moving on to Repesenses.
He joined Viseu United in 2015, but only stayed for a year before moving to Benfica, where he was part of the youth set-up until 2022.
The centre-back started his senior career with Benfica B, making his debut in April 2022, but earlier on in that campaign had impressed in the UEFA Youth League.
Silva was part of the Benfica Under-19 team that topped their group, which also included Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Dynamo Kyiv.
In the 2022-23 season, he was fast-tracked to the Benfica senior team after impressing then coach Roger Schmidt.
Silva's first start for the Portuguese giants came on 27th August 2022, when he helped Benfica to a 3-0 away league win over Boavista.
Later on in the season he made his UEFA Champions League debut as partner to former Manchester City man Nicolas Otamendi in a 2-0 home win over Maccabi Haifa.
International caps
The new Bournemouth signing has already played 20 times for his country and was included in the senior squad for the 2022 World Cup.
He made his debut against Nigeria in the lead-up to the tournament and then became the youngest ever Portugal player to start a World Cup match, in the 2-1 loss to South Korea.
Silva was also part of the squad that was named for the 2024 European Championships, starting the final group game with Georgia.
However, the central defender missed out on a place in the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup Finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
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