Bournemouth have agreed a deal worth up to almost £26m for Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva. It is a key signing for the Cherries, who identified replacing Marcos Senesi, following his free-transfer move to Tottenham earlier this month, as a priority. Club sources say a move for Silva has required patience, with an agreement only reached after Benfica's Europa League qualifying-round victory over Swiss side St Gallen on Thursday. Silva has been a regular for Benfica since breaking into the first team in 2022 and has featured in the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup. They are determined to resist offers for three of their key players - Alex Scott, Rayan and Junior Kroupi.