AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 23: Rafa Silva of Benfica in action during the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between Ajax and SL Benfica at Johan Cruyff Arena on October 23, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Back in April, The Sun (h/t The Shields Gazette) suggested that Newcastle United were interested in signing Benfica star Rafa Silva, who is valued at £25m. However, no such talks have progressed in recent times.
Silva, 26, made a name for himself in his three years with Braga and moved to Benfica in the summer of 2016. Since then, he has been a regular member of the squad and was one of the most instrumental players in helping Benfica lift their 37th league title last season by scoring 17 goals and providing 3 assists.
He has also forced his way into the Portuguese national squad in recent times after being left out of for quite a long time. He is one of the most creative players in Liga NOS and thus, Newcastle should consider signing him this summer.
The Magpies have been inconsistent throughout the campaign and their run of poor performances in the past few months has pushed them out of the top half of the table.
One of the major reasons for their downfall is the lack of goals as they have netted just 37 times so far, which is the fourth-lowest in the top-flight. The attacking unit has failed miserably and most of their goals have come from the midfield.
Newcastle have a plethora of forward-thinking midfielders in their ranks in Sean Longstaff, Jonjoe Shelvey, Matt Ritchie and Miguel Almiron. And to add to that, the manager brought in Nabil Bentaleb and Valentino Lazaro on loan in January to boost their options in the middle of the park.
However, none has performed well and thus, bringing in reinforcements in the summer would be ideal by Steve Bruce. In that case, Benfica’s Rafa Silva would be a brilliant addition to the squad as he is in the form of his life and is one of the best players in the Portuguese league.
After his exploits helped Benfica lift the league title last season, he has continued with the same form this term, scoring 6 goals and providing 5 assists in 23 league games.
Silva’s addition to Bruce’s squad would be a huge boost to their attacking options, who can expect a lot of goalscoring opportunities. His quality has risen in the past few months and he would definitely add depth to Newcastle’s squad.
With Bentaleb and Lazaro only on loan, the manager should make permanent signings to boost the midfield options next season. And Silva could be a valuable addition as he can provide them with much-needed extra goals from the midfield. Thus, the Magpies should reignite their interest in the Portuguese international.
