Benfica and FC Porto are both interested in landing Granada's Portuguese keeper Rui Silva for next season according to reports coming from Portugal. The 26 year old has been one of the better keepers in La Liga this season and currently sits third in total shot stops while maintaining ten clean sheets for the mid table club. Silva's low buy out clause of €15M will make it difficult for the Spanish side to retain his services beyond this season. Silva arrived at Granada during the winter transfer window of 2017 for a modest €1.5M from Madeira club Nacional and became the starter last season helping the club earn promotion to La Liga while being voted the best keeper in the second division. Benfica have been looking for a keeper to push current number one Vlachodimos since last summer and Silva's form and low cost has moved him onto the clubs summer acquisition list. Benfica though will not only have Portuguese rivals FC Porto to battle for Silva's signature but Spanish side Real Betis and a couple of English Premier clubs have also been linked to acquiring the Portuguese keeper. Silva's final decision could be swayed in Benfica's favour if they were to land a spot in next seasons Champions League but that will remain unknown until the league restarts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
West Brom are ready to discuss a permanent move with Benfica for attacking midfielder Filip Krovinovic who has spent this season as a key member of West Brom's run into the top two of England's second division and likely promotion to the Premiership next season once things get back to normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Krovinovic joined Benfica in the summer of 2017 from Rio Ave for €3.5M and appeared in 28 games with Benfica across all competitions before being loaned out this summer to West Brom. Krovinovic looks to have found a squad that he can play regularly and has appeared in 34 games this season for the Baggies across all competitions scoring twice and providing four helpers. The loan move between both clubs did not include an option to buy as part of the agreement but Benfica could be looking for €15M-€20M from West Brom to make the move permanent and with West Brom set to gain around €100M from television rights with a promotion an agreement should not be hard to come by for the the 24 year old Croatian.
Benfica should already be looking on how to bolster their squad for next season and one position that the club needs to strengthen is the right back spot. Benfica will continue to sell assets and one particular European club that has been a regular in the stands scouting the club is Manchester City, the English club has been suspended from European play for the next two years by UEFA and should have an abundance of players available to other clubs, one of these such players could be Portuguese right back Joao Cancelo.
Benfica who currently have an often injured Andre Almeida and not yet ready youngster Tomas Tavares in the right back spot would receive an immediate upgrade with a loan acquisition of its former Seixal academy player. Benfica should ask to include Cancelo on any deal the two clubs would make for a Man City linked player like Ruben Dias and the club could make sure that City pay a substantial amount of Cancelo's £4.16M annual salary to fit within the clubs budget.
