Drinkwater replacement? Adrien Silva leaves Portugal squad amid Leicester reports

Joe Wright

Drinkwater replacement? Adrien Silva leaves Portugal squad amid Leicester reports image

Adrien Silva has been allowed to leave the Portugal squad amid reports that he is closing in on a move to Leicester City.

The 28-year-old has emerged as a rumoured target for Craig Shakespeare's side during the final hours of the transfer window.

It is claimed that Sporting CP midfielder Silva has been lined up as a replacement for Danny Drinkwater, should the former Manchester United man move to Chelsea before the deadline.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed that he will return to the national team on Friday after being granted permission to leave.

"[Head coach] Fernando Santos and the FPF have authorised the player Adrien Silva to absent himself from the national team until Friday."

The Sporting midfielder will reportedly cost Leicester in the region of £22m if a deal can be finalised.

Portugal face the Faroe Islands on Thursday in a World Cup qualifying clash in Group B.

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.