Rafa Silva is using Newcastle for a better deal with Benfica
By Durim Halimi
Simply put, Rafa Silva is not actually interested in leaving Benfica for Newcastle United.
Several reports from Portugal and England have been published over the last two days claiming that Newcastle United are keen on purchasing Rafa Silva from Benfica this summer. The interest in the player from the Toon has been confirmed, but Benfica’s star player and his agent, Antonio Araujo, are toying with this interest.
According to a new report from Sport Witness, Silva and Araujo will meet with Benfica’s front office to negotiate a new contract that would see Silva become the highest paid player on Benfica’s roster and one of the highest paid players in Portugal. The 25-year-old midfielder has scored 15 goals in 24 league games for Benfica this season, so he is definitely worth the money and it is a good sign seeing Newcastle pursuing players of this caliber.
The problem for Newcastle, however, is that Silva is focused on staying with the Portuguese giants for a few more years. His current contract expires in 2021 and his agent will surely look to use Newcastle’s interest in Silva to put the pressure on Benfica. According to the aforementioned report, the meeting between Silva and Benfica is set to take place at the end of this week, either on Thursday or Friday.
Silva a Good Fit for Newcastle?
Silva is a well-rounded, talented player and he would help improve Newcastle’s offensive efficiency. Like most players with no prior exposure to the Premier League, it would take Silva, who has spent his entire career in Portugal, some time to adjust to English football. Moreover, Ayoze Perez will most likely be on the move this summer, so Newcastle need a quality player to fill his void up top.
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The fact that Newcastle have expressed interest in Portugal’s rising star is a great sign. The Magpies can only hope that Benfica are unable to meet Silva’s financial demands when the two parties meet later this week. Realistically speaking, though, the odds of Silva joining Newcastle are slim. In my opinion, Silva and his agent are simply using the Toon for a better deal with Benfica.