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Benfica have stepped up their pursuit of Rafa Silva after sporting director Mario Branco travelled to Istanbul to open direct negotiations with Besiktas, signaling that a long-running transfer storyline is now moving toward a decisive phase.
The process gathered momentum after Rafa Silva was left out of the Besiktas squad once again, this time for the Super Lig match against Kayserispor. The Portuguese attacker had already missed recent Turkish Cup fixtures against Fenerbahce and Keciorengucu.
Head coach Sergen Yalcin, who had been dealing with a player eager to move on and unwilling to reconsider his stance, chose not to bring him back into the matchday lineup, effectively closing the door on his short-term future at the club.
Against this backdrop, Mario Branco arrived in Istanbul to sit down with Besiktas officials and push negotiations forward. Benfica had initially put forward an offer of around €6 million ($6.9 million) for the player.
According to the information shared, the Lisbon-based club is expected to raise that proposal to roughly €7.5 million ($8.9 million), a level that would allow the transfer to be wrapped up and formally confirmed.
Besiktas president Serdal Adali had previously acknowledged Benfica interest during a press briefing, explaining that the Portuguese club had made an approach and that Besiktas had responded with a clear valuation.
He stated in full: "Benfica made a move for Rafa. We shared our demand, and if that line is reached, Rafa will leave."
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