The transfer had been substantially agreed for some time, with only the fee and timing left to resolve after Benfica requested a short delay to keep the 22-year-old available for their opening Europa League qualifier.
Record reports that plan was in place before Benfica's first-leg defeat in Switzerland, meaning the result did not alter the club's timetable. Silva is set to start alongside Clément Lenglet against St. Gallen on Thursday in what is expected to be his farewell appearance before departing for the Premier League.
Bournemouth manager Marco Rose confirmed the club's pursuit of the centre-back is close to being finalised.
"It is no secret we want this player. We are in negotiations and the player is very close," he told the BBC. "It is not for me to say more. We want this player, he wants to join us and the clubs are talking. We are waiting for him."
Silva is expected to sign a five-year contract, keeping him at Bournemouth until 2031 in what would be his first move outside Portugal. The deal is reported to be worth around €25 million with a further €5 million in add-ons, close to Benfica's €30 million asking price, and would reunite Silva with Tiago Pinto, the former Benfica general director who now oversees football operations at Bournemouth.
A graduate of Benfica's Seixal academy, Silva made his first-team debut for the club in 2022 and had established himself as a key figure and occasional captain over four seasons in Lisbon.
Head coach Marco Silva said this week that he will continue planning with the defender until any exit is officially confirmed, but with paperwork now being processed between the two clubs, the long-anticipated move to England appears to be only days away from being finalised.
The move has reignited criticism in Portugal of Benfica's handling of Silva's contract situation. Former club vice-president Fernando Tavares argued the club reacted too slowly in trying to tie the defender down to fresh terms, describing the pattern as a recurring strategic risk that has led to "emotional wear, loss of trust, public pressure and, inevitably, an early departure."
Benfica are already thin at centre-back, with Tomás Araújo still on holiday following the World Cup and only Clement Lenglet and young defender Gabriel Índio as recognised alternatives once Silva leaves, adding urgency to their own search for reinforcements this summer.