With investment from Chinese owners, a new kit deal with Adidas and promotion to the Premier League already sewn up, things are certainly looking up for Wolverhampton Wanderers. No sooner had the dust settled after they had achieved top-flight promotion – for the first time since relegation in 2011/12 – when the transfer rumours started to circulate, with the Midlands club surely ready to spend in the transfer window.
Sky Italia recently reported that one of those summer targets would be 22-year-old Milan striker Andre Silva, a man who made a £33 million move from Porto only this summer. Such a scenario becomes more plausible given that Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo shares Portuguese nationality with the Rossoneri man, and was his previous boss whilst in charge of the Dragoes.
Such is the hype surrounding the transfer window that Wolves fans got excited when Silva tweeted a picture of his new gold boots, thinking perhaps the youngster had given a hint about the future. That new footwear would certainly compliment the gold kit, but what else would this striker bring to Molyneux?
An out-and-out goalscorer, Andre Silva arrived on the peninsula with a stellar reputation for finding the back of the net after his move last summer. Hard working, physical and with a good sense of positioning, the Portuguese star was lauded for the ability to shoot with either foot as he played the typical number nine role in his native country.
Silva would score 16 goals and provide five assists in just 28 starts for Porto in 2016/17, finding similar success with the Portuguese national team. After having represented his country at all international youth levels, the striker earned a first call-up to the senior side in August 2016. With Cristiano Ronaldo to guide him on the pitch, he fired in 11 times in his first 20 appearances for the Seleção das Quinas, and links to both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid were not undeserved.
Yet Milan would be the ones to secure his signature after having been in the market for a player of exactly his type. The Rossoneri were seeking a player who could score goals from inside the box, one that could be fed by Suso and new signing Hakan Calhanoglu on the wing. On paper, Silva looked to be the perfect acquisition for their requirements, but it has not turned out to be that way.
Whether it be to Wolves or elsewhere, the striker looks set to move on this summer with the San Siro outfit looking to cut their losses on a transfer that simply has not worked out for either party. Silva has been selected for just 902 minutes of league football this term, the youngster having found the net just twice during this time.
It could well be that Silva was a victim of circumstance in Milan, as the Rossoneri have a far from stable platform for him to grow from. The Portuguese player has already worked under two managers this season and questions about the viability of the club’s new Chinese owners continue to circulate. Their unusual business model meant that almost an entire new squad of players were purchased alongside Silva, and the financial pressure to reach the Champions League must’ve been a heavy burden for all involved.
“Everything changed here, as it’s the first time I have left Portugal,” the striker admitted to Sky Italia after scoring in a 3-2 win over Chievo in mid-March. “I don’t think the cost of the transfer fee weighed on me, but I did need some time to adapt to a whole new country, league and team.”
As sometimes can happen with transfers, it seems to have simply been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for Andre Silva. Perhaps a fresh start in the Premier League with a familiar coach will be the right thing for this young player whose natural talent is not in doubt.
