Newcastle back in for Antonio Silva as Benfica doubts grow - Report

One of Ross Wilson's biggest tasks this summer is to refresh Newcastle United's defensive options.

When the sporting director first arrived at the club, he made it clear that lowering the average age of the squad was going ot be a priority, and given that most of what pushed that average up was the defence, we expect plenty of changes in that department.

Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles have all left (or will have by the start of next season), which leaves three open spots, which could potentially rise to four as we await the decision on Fabian Schar.

When you factor in John Ruddy's departure, too, that's the job pretty much done on lowering the average age, but we then need to recruit, so finding young defenders who can slot into the first team immediately is going to be a tough ask.

Newcastle rekindle interest in Benfica star? 

Newcastle have long held an interest in Benfica's Antonio Silva, if Portuguese media is to be believed, and now Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness) has claimed that the Magpies are waiting in the wings to make their move.

Silva is entering the final year of his contract at Benfica, who have been pretty efficient at swatting away offers for the 22-year-old over previous transfer windows.

It's said the Portuguese side is desperate to convince Silva to sign a new deal. But, the longer he delays, the more vulnerable Benfica becomes, which could explain why Newcastle have rekindled their interest.

Benfica president Rui Costa is even ready to offer Silva the captain's armband to emphasise the club's commitment to him, but Antonio Silva has plenty to think about now that current boss Jose Mourinho is set to depart for Real Madrid.

Silva could be the perfect Schar replacement 

At 22, Silva already has 20 international caps under his belt and has been the subject of bids from Juventus. It's clear that Benfica rate him very highly too, so we hope that Newcastle's interest is genuine.

Even with just a year left on his deal, we expect that he won't come cheap, as Benfica have already been rock solid with their stance on his future. They may have to accept a bid to prevent losing him for free next year, but it feels like they won't be taken for a ride either.

We'll be monitoring this one for sure, and it gives us a player to watch at the World Cup, too, as we expect Benfica to drag this out well into and possibly beyond that competition.

Rumour Rating: 6/10 - All the noises are coming from Portugal right now, which is a slight red flag given their poor track record. However, Silva definitely fits the profile of a Newcastle signing, so there could be some truth to it. We've rated it higher to manifest it into being. If we all believe hard enough, it might happen.