Fabio Silva is now 'struggling' after 'harsh' Wolves setback

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·9 November 2023

Fabio Silva is now 'struggling' after 'harsh' Wolves setback

Wolverhampton Wanderers star Fabio Silva is ‘struggling’ to live up to his billing at Molineux and transfer insider Dean Jones has given GIVEMESPORT an update on his future at his current employers amid transfer speculation.

Most recently, the striker was left blurry-eyed after a controversial penalty was given against him in the 100th minute of their Premier League meeting with Sheffield United, one that eventually ended in a disheartening 2-1 loss.

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Alas, whether he'll be retained on Wolves' books past January is unknown, though the former Porto man has a lot of work to do to dislodge Matheus Cunha from Gary O'Neil's solitary striker berth.

Silva’s substandard career in the Midlands bodes the question: is it really time to part ways? The 21-year-old, at the time of his £35.6m move, became the club’s transfer record signing but has largely failed to live up to expectations across his 72-game career in the Premier League.

broke down in tears after conceding a late penalty to Sheffield United as Wolves fell at the hands of the Blades, though teammates Nelson Semedo and Toti Gomes were quick to rally behind their struggling teammate.

In fact, he was on the verge of securing a summer move away from Molineux with Ajax, Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen all keen to secure his services, though no deal ever came to fruition, which, in turn, left all parties frustrated. As hitman duo Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa upped and left for pastures new over the summer, it was the opportune time for Silva to re-instate his place in the fore of O’Neil’s mind as he returned from loan spells at Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven.

Despite the gaping chance to become Wolves’ leading frontman, Silva has struggled to settle upon his return as he has been afforded just 373 minutes across all competitions all thanks to the fine form of Cunha, who has stepped up to plate. As things stand, however, O’Neil has hinted that Silva could remain in his 2023/24 plans amid speculation over his future coupled with interest from potential suitors.

Dean Jones update – Fabio Silva

Jones suggested that due to Silva enduring a tumultuous time at Wolves, especially since returning from Eindhoven, that his future is currently swinging in the balance. Referencing how upset he was at the final whistle against Sheffield United, the transfer insider admitted that while football is his life, many errors have led up to his struggles of cementing himself as a regular in the Premier League. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“It’s been a really rocky road for him [Fabio Silva]. And I think when you see him crying at the end, you could see what it means to him, which I think is something, you’ve got to sympathise with players. He’s had so many things go wrong for him and while it's only football, to this guy it's his life, and he's trying to live up to his billing. And he's struggling to do that. I thought it's obviously quite a harsh moment for him, it wasn't like a horrendous mistake. But just nothing is going his way at Wolves. There's always speculation about whether he's going to hang around. And when moments like that happen, that's when the speculation arises again, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if we get to January and people are talking about him making a transfer, but it'll be interesting to see if Wolves stick by him.”

Wolves eye out-of-favour Borussia Dortmund 18-year-old star

With Pedro Neto now out of action, former Bournemouth custodian will be keen to add more firepower to his attack in the January transfer window and Borussia Dortmund phenom Youssofa Moukoko is reportedly of interest.

Still just 18 years of age, the German U21 international has scored 14 goals and notched a further eight assists in 82 senior appearances at the Signal Iduna Park – a respectable return for a player deploying a bit-part role. O’Neil could be boosted in his pursuit to alleviate the loss of Neto as 90min have reported that Moukoko is keen to pack his bags and leave Germany in January, albeit on a temporary basis.

The report suggests that with a place in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad in the offing, the youngster will be pushing for a loan move away, though Wolves’ Premier League rivals Liverpool are also monitoring his situation as we near the opening of the winter transfer market. Yet to start a Bundesliga fixture since the 2023/24 campaign got underway thanks to the availability of Sebastien Haller and the free-scoring Niclas Fullkrug, Moukoko’s opportunities to shine have come few and far between.

Despite rubber-stamping a fresh contract extension until 2026 at Dortmund back in January, the German's willingness to earn minutes at senior level could leave the door ajar for a club like Wolves, though they will have to be prepared to fend off interest from a host of would-be buyers.