According to a report, Chelsea is interested in Antonio Silva and Tomas Araujo, who are currently at Benfica, and could potentially surpass Manchester United and Arsenal in the pursuit of their signatures.
According to Simon Phillips, a Chelsea insider, the team is currently considering the centre-back tandem as they seek to bolster their back four through the acquisition of new players. Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, Chelsea’s current defenders, are both at risk of being sold due to Chelsea’s expressed dissatisfaction with them. Silva and Araujo are being considered as potential replacements.
Silva, who is only 20 years old, is already a significant player for both Benfica and Portugal, and the Blues’ executives are particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of signing him.
Chelsea is optimistic about the prospect of incorporating Silva into their roster of promising young players, as he is considered to possess world-class potential, according to Phillips.
In contrast, Araujo, a 22-year-old centre-half, is also beginning to establish himself in the Benfica first squad. Despite the fact that Araujo is slightly behind Silva in terms of his development and has yet to make his senior Portugal debut, he is on track to become a brilliant defender at the highest level.
Both Silva and Araujo are highly interested.
The addition of Silva and Araujo by Chelsea would be a source of frustration for a number of their Premier League rivals. Liverpool is also monitoring Silva’s circumstances, and Manchester United has been a longtime admirer of him.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both monitoring Araujo. Crystal Palace has designated him as Marc Guehi’s successor in the event that the Englishman departs the club in 2025.
However, Chelsea will be required to allocate substantial funds in order to secure the Primeira Liga players. Benfica would prefer to acquire Silva for a maximum of €100 million (£83 million / $108 million). Nevertheless, there are reports that imply an agreement could be reached for approximately £50 million (€60 million / $65 million) if Silva is motivated to advance in his career.
Benfica has established a price of €20m (£17m / $22m) for Araujo, which is a lower price.
Although Chelsea has been associated with the two emerging talents, there is compelling evidence to suggest that only one of them may be able to make the move to Stamford Bridge next summer. After all, the Chelsea first team is scheduled to reunite with Argentine centre-half Aaron Anselmino in the summer of 2025, following his loan stint with Boca Juniors.
Chelsea secured the 19-year-old on a long-term contract in August by paying Boca £15.6m (€19m / $20m).
Currently, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has the support of Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Renato Veiga in the central defense.
Chelsea transfers: Dortmund attack, Newcastle link
In the interim, Chelsea is purportedly contemplating a transfer for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
The negotiations between Newcastle and Isak regarding a new contract have reached a standstill. If Newcastle is unable to qualify for European competition this season, Isak may attempt to negotiate his exit from St James’ Park.
Chelsea and Arsenal have been placed on “red alert” as a result of this situation. However, Newcastle has already secured the Swede until June 2028, which will result in a substantial financial burden.
Ben Chilwell, who was spurned by Maresca, is preparing for a winter departure, despite the fact that Isak is a viable contender to enhance the Chelsea squad.
TEAMtalk has been informed by sources that Borussia Dortmund has included Chilwell in their list of left-back targets.
The two organizations maintain a positive relationship as a result of their previous agreements. However, it is uncertain whether Chilwell is amenable to abandoning England entirely.
In light of his impressive performance in the Premier League, Dortmund has included Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez on their shortlist, in addition to Chilwell.
