Portugal defender Antonio Silva joins Bournemouth in £25.7m deal

Portugal defender Antonio Silva says he is excited to join Bournemouth after signing for the Cherries in a deal worth up to £25.7m.

The 22-year-old joins from Benfica where he has been a regular since breaking into the first team in 2022 and has featured in the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup.

It is a key signing for Bournemouth, who identified replacing Marcos Senesi, following his free-transfer move to Tottenham earlier this month, as a priority.

"I am very happy to be here. It's a pleasure to play for Bournemouth and in the Premier League," Silva told the club's website.

"I can't wait to start the season with my team-mates and I'm excited to be here.

"The mentality is always to win. I will try my best, and I will play for the fans. We have everything here that helps us perform on the pitch, and I can't wait to get started."

Club sources said an agreement was only reached after Benfica's Europa League qualifying-round win over Swiss side St Gallen on Thursday.

The fee for Silva is worth an initial £21.4m, plus a further £4.3m in add-ons.

The defender has 20 caps and was in Portugal's squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. However, he was not selected by Roberto Martinez for this summer's tournament.

"Antonio is a player we have admired for a long time and we're delighted to welcome him to AFC Bournemouth," Bournemouth's president of football operations Tiago Pinto said.

"Despite being only 22, he has already built an outstanding level of experience at one of Europe's biggest clubs, playing consistently in domestic, European and international competitions. Those experiences have helped shape him into a defender with real maturity and leadership qualities.

"He is ambitious, has a proven winning mentality and knows what it takes to compete for trophies."

Silva is Bournemouth's second signing of the summer after the arrival of striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche in a deal worth up to £25.7m.

The Cherries, who have a new manager in Marco Rose, are aiming for a summer of stability after selling more than £200m worth of players last year.

They are determined to resist offers for three of their key players - Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi.

Kroupi is out for three to four months, having sustained an injury in pre-season training.