Rafa Silva has struggled at SL Benfica but could be offered an escape by Premier League duo Everton and Leicester City in the January transfer window.
With Kevin Mirallas returning to Olympiakos and Burnley keen on signing Aaron Lennon according to The Mail, Everton could need to refresh their wide options in January.
And as stated by Portuguese publication A Bola, the Toffees already have a target in mind. The report states that Everton, as well as Premier League rivals Leicester City, are interested in rescuing Rafa Silva from his Benfica nightmare.
It is understood that both sides will try to sign the 24-year-old on loan until the end of the season, when Benfica will give them an option to sign Rafa Silva permanently for a fee of around £26.5 million.
This would earn the Primeira Liga champions a rather impressive profit on a player who simply has not performed since arriving from Braga in the summer of 2016 for £14.5 million, making him the second most expensive player in Benfica’s history.
Silva, who has been nicknamed ‘the Portuguese Eden Hazard’ for his mesmeric close control, managed just two goals and four assists in his debut season for the Eagles. And his 2017/18 campaign has not gone much better, with just one league start to his name so far.
And that tally looks unlikely to increase with Benfica keen to find a club willing to take the expensive flop off their hands.
Everton and Leicester, then, have much to consider. Rafa Silva is a player with huge potential, emphasised by links with Liverpool and Manchester United as recently as 2016 via The Express.
But his failure to make an impression at Benfica should surely make them think twice about paying £26.5 million this month.
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