Manchester United 'to continue scouting in-demand Antonio Silva'

Manchester United are reportedly planning to continue scouting Benfica's Antonio Silva amid the growing interest in the teenage centre-back.

The 19-year-old made his first-team debut for Benfica towards the start of last season and went on to feature on 44 occasions during his breakthrough 2022-23 campaign.

Silva has also been a vital player for the Portuguese giants this term, making eight appearances, including the full 90 minutes of his side's 1-0 win over Porto on Friday.

The teenager, who is also now a five-time international for Portugal, has a contract with Benfica until the summer of 2027, but the club are likely to find it difficult to keep him on a long-term basis.

A recent report claimed that Man United scouted Silva during the recent international break, with the Red Devils viewing him as a leading target in the middle of the defence.

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According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man United have scouted the defender "on a number of occasions and are likely to keep on doing so".

Romano, in his column for CaughtOffside, said that a number of other clubs are showing an interest in Silva, but the 20-time English champions are seemingly well-informed on the developments.

The youngster has featured on 52 occasions for Benfica in all competitions, with 11 of those appearances coming in the Champions League.

Silva started against Red Bull Salzburg in the competition on September 20 but was sent off after just 13 minutes, which will rule him out of next week's trip to Inter Milan.

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Man United are currently well-stocked in the middle of their defence, with Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans all present at the club.

There is concern when it comes to a foot injury for Martinez, though, with the Argentina international currently on the sidelines, having aggravated the problem that he initially suffered in April.

Lindelof and Maguire both face uncertain futures, while Evans only has a contract until the end of the season.

Varane's fitness problems are also concerning, with the 30-year-old suffering a number of muscular issues during his time at Old Trafford.

As a result, investing in a young central defender could be on the cards for the 20-time English champions next year, with Silva seemingly being identified as their number one target in that area of the field.