Bournemouth Signs 22-Year-Old Portuguese Defender Silva from Benfica

Bournemouth has completed the signing of Portuguese defender Silva from Benfica. The move follows the club’s earlier acquisition this week of Spanish forward Álvaro Rodríguez from Elche in a deal valued at $37 million.

Silva to fill vacancy left by Ceni’s departure

Silva will occupy the defensive position vacated by the free transfer of Argentine defender Marcos Ceni to Tottenham Hotspur.

Benfica and international record

During his time at Benfica’s first team, Silva appeared in 235 matches and won six major trophies. At age 22, he has earned 20 caps for the Portugal national team and featured in both the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

He was not selected for Portugal’s squad at the most recent FIFA World Cup, held in North America.

Player statement on joining Bournemouth

“I am very happy to be here. It is an honour to play for Bournemouth and in the English Premier League. I cannot wait to start the season with my teammates,” Silva said.

He added: “The mentality here is always to win. I will give my maximum effort and play for the fans. We have everything here to deliver our best performance on the pitch.”

Rosse’s debut season begins with pre-season fixtures

German coach Marco Rose will lead Bournemouth in the upcoming season, succeeding Spanish manager Andoni Iraola, who departed to take charge of Liverpool following the dismissal of Dutch manager Arne Slot.

Under Rose, Bournemouth has played two pre-season friendlies against German sides — a 4–1 victory over St. Pauli and a 5–2 win against Augsburg. The club is scheduled to face Italian side Genoa, Spanish side Real Betis, and German side Mainz before travelling to Manchester City for its opening Premier League match on 23 August.