Wolverhampton Wanderers frontman Fabio Silva has flattered to deceive during his stay at Molineux and transfer insider Dean Jones, in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, has explained why the club need to make an informed decision on his future sooner rather than later.
Gary O’Neil has often opted for different number nine options over Silva’s three-year stint at the club, highlighting his belief – or lack thereof – in the 21-year-old’s ability to lead the line.
His future in the Black County – at the time of writing – remains unknown, though he’ll have to enjoy an upturn in performances between now and the impending January transfer window to remain as part of Wolves’ squad it seems.
Silva’s sub-par three-year stint at Molineux
Back in 2020, Wolves parted ways with £35.6m for the then-teenager, per BBC Sport, after finding himself as a crucial piece of FC Porto’s first team proceedings – but it’s safe to say that the Portuguese man has struggled to live up to his expectations. As O’Neil and his squad entered 2023/24, it was earmarked as Silva’s season. A chance to reinvent himself and become his side’s marksman. Ten appearances and one goal later, and it’s clear to envisage how far he is down the pecking order.
Instead, it has been South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan that has stepped up to the plate, notching eight goals and two assists in the English top flight as things stand. On top of that, having been dislodged from the squad earlier this season in favour of Brazilian ace Matheus Cunha, Silva will eventually come to realise that it’s time to call it quits.
| Fabio Silva – season-by-season stats since 2020/21 (as of 06/12/23) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards |
| 2020-21 (Wolves) | 36 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021-22 (Wolves) | 26 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022-23 (Anderlecht & PSV) | 51 | 16 | 6 | 9 |
| 2023-24 (Wolves) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Stats according to Transfermarkt | ||||
On two different occasions, Silva – a 19-cap Portugal Under-21 international – was sent out on loan to fine-tune his game and return to the Premier League as the talisman that then-Wolves boss Nuno Espírito Santo hoped he would be, though his stints at PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht were also far from fruitful.
With the January transfer window soon opening for business, it seems as if Silva’s days under O’Neil’s stewardship are numbered, especially with Talking Wolves presenter Dave Azzopardi telling SportSynergy that he could forge a successful career, but just not for Wolves.
Dean Jones on Fabio Silva
Jones has insisted that, as we approach the winter window, a decision on his future has to be made – for the benefit of all parties. Claiming that those of a Wolves persuasion have been willing to give him time to settle and develop, the transfer insider suggested that now, three years down the line from his signing, fans will start to become disgruntled at his lack of goals.
He did refer to Silva as not being ‘the finished article’ and made a claim that, despite being given ample opportunity to make his mark, the forward is simply not good enough to impact the first team, one in which typically struggle to find the back of the net. Speaking to SportSynergy he said:
“Yeah, we’re heading towards a time when a decision has got to be made. I mean, Fabio Silva, I think for a long time now, fans have been waiting to see him hit the levels that were touted when he joined. You know, a lot of money was spent on him as an 18-year-old, and you hear all about the potential, and you’re happy to go along with it for a certain amount of time.
“Fans have actually been pretty patient from what I’ve seen of waiting for that to happen. But you’re like, what, three years down the line now? And you know, he’s still not the finished article. They still don’t have a player that’s good enough to impact on their first team, which half the time are struggling for goals, and they could do with someone who wants to impact in the first team.”
