​Bournemouth are close to signing Benfica defender Antonio Silva, according to Gianluca DiMarzio.AC Milan looked like his next destination, but after they picked up Mario Gila, the move died.The Cherries have managed to snap Silva up after he decided to leave his boyhood club, rejecting their renewal offer.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSilva has been highly-touted since his youth days, earmarking himself as one of the better centre-halves in the Portuguese top-flight.His aerial ability, reading of the game, and passing out from the back make him a top defender, and he is an astute pick-up for Bournemouth.Last term, he made 25 Primeira Liga appearances, bagging one goal and one assist. He helped Benfica keep seven clean sheets, winning 59 percent of his aerial and 61% of his ground duels.Bournemouth have lost Marcos Senesi, who left for Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer, and Silva is a stellar replacement for the Argentine centre-half.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf anything, Silva is an upgrade on Senesi, as he has a stronger physical presence, even though the Spurs man is better on the ball.Bournemouth deserve enormous credit for the way they have approached this deal.In a market where prices continue to spiral out of control, the Cherries have identified a proven young international with huge resale value rather than paying inflated fees for reputation alone.Spurs committed around £52 million to sign Jan Paul Van Hecke, a defender entering the final year of his contract.Meanwhile, Bournemouth have landed one of Portugal’s brightest defensive talents for significantly less (He will reportedly cost less than €30m).AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt is the type of recruitment that has become Bournemouth’s trademark in recent years, targeting players before their value explodes.If Silva settles quickly in the Premier League, this could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer and another transfer masterclass from the club’s recruitment department.