Portugal international Antonio Silva has expressed his delight at joining Bournemouth after the defender completed a transfer valued at up to £25.7m.
The 22-year-old arrives from Benfica, having established himself as a regular first-team player after making his breakthrough in 2022. He has also gained experience in the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup.
The move represents an important addition for Bournemouth, who made signing a replacement for Marcos Senesi a priority after he joined Tottenham on a free transfer earlier this month.
Silva said he was delighted to join Bournemouth and welcomed the opportunity to compete in the Premier League.
He added that he was eager to begin the season alongside his new team-mates.
The defender said his approach is always focused on winning, promising to give his best for the supporters and make full use of the club’s facilities to perform well on the pitch.
Sources at the club indicated that the agreement was finalised only after Benfica defeated Swiss team St Gallen in Thursday’s Europa League qualifying match.
Bournemouth will pay an initial £21.4m for Silva, with another £4.3m potentially due through performance-related additions.
Silva has earned 20 international appearances and was included in Portugal’s squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. He was not, however, chosen by Roberto Martinez for this summer’s competition.
Bournemouth president of football operations Tiago Pinto said the club had monitored Silva for a considerable period and was pleased to bring him to AFC Bournemouth.
Pinto highlighted that, despite his young age, Silva has already accumulated significant experience with one of Europe’s leading clubs across domestic, continental and international football. He said those opportunities have developed the defender’s maturity and leadership skills.
He also described Silva as an ambitious player with a strong winning attitude and experience of competing for major honours.
Silva becomes Bournemouth’s second addition of the summer, following striker Alvaro Rodriguez’s move from Elche in another deal that could reach £25.7m.
With Marco Rose now in charge, the Cherries hope to enjoy a more settled summer after receiving over £200m from player departures last year.
The club intends to reject approaches for three important members of the squad: Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi.
Kroupi is expected to be unavailable for between three and four months after suffering an injury during pre-season training.
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