Wolves have completed the signing of one of the biggest prospects in Portuguese football, bringing in Porto’s 18-year old striker Fabio Silva for a club record fee of 40 million euros.
It is an incredible move for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, one that is not only for the present, but also for the future, and only adds to the incredible array of Portuguese talent currently at the club.
Though some fans may believe that the sum of money simply does not reflect the quality of the player - and looking at it from the outside, you can understand why some may have that opinion.
The fact is that Fabio Silva has earned fewer than 1,000 minutes of senior football across his entire career, scoring just 3 goals - only one of which was in the league - and yet has now been valued at 40 million euros, some seven times more than the experienced and world-renowned Portuguese legend João Moutinho. Is potential really worth that much more than proven ability?
But the fact is Fabio Silva’s efforts at youth level were startling. It is true that one former Sporting player once suggested that Silva had traits and qualities comparable to Cristiano Ronaldo at youth level - and it’s a comparison that was understandable, with Silva’s performances and goal record at the time beyond exceptional.
He also played a truly critical role in leading Porto to victory in the UEFA Youth League in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first - and, to date, only - Portuguese side to win the youth equivalent of the Champions League. 5 goals and 4 assists in 9 games proves that, for his age level, he is well above the rest, able to perform to such a high standard against elite clubs in his age category.
The fact that he has as much first-team experience to his name despite only being 18 years of age is testament to his ability, and it speaks voumes that Porto fans are disappointed to see him leave, many of which think they could have got even more for him.
Indeed, Silva had a massive 125 million euro release clause, yet has ended up moving for far less than that as Porto prioritise keeping their best assets at the club, rather than their biggest prospects.
But at the age of 18, Wolves are not only buying a striker that is already at a stage in his career to play first-team football off the bench, but they are recruiting a player that is set to play at the very highest level of the game for the next 15 to 20 years. When you consider the sheer longevity that his career promises, and how promising he is as a player and how he has already proven himself to be an accomplished striker for the senior Porto side, suddenly 40 million euros seems incredibly reasonable.
Take Joao Felix as an example. One and a half years older, with just half a season of impressing for Benfica under his belt - and he went to Atletico Madrid for 120 million euros. Had Silva played regularly at Porto, no doubt he would have ended up costing the same as Felix did, if not more considering age is even more on his side. So 40 million euros should quite easily go on to prove a bargain, and Wolves should be able to make a very healthy profit on him further down the line should they choose to sell him.
Jorge Mendes was, of course, an important factor in the transfer; Porto needed to sell, Wolves needed a stiker, and the most promising 18-year old in the world was available - so it made sense for the transfer to go through. Had it not been for Mendes’ connection, would this transfer have happened? Almost certainly not. But it's a massive statement of intent.
Wolves have already been snapping up some of the most reputable Portuguese internationals such as João Moutinho and Rui Patricio. Now they're signing the biggest prospect in the country to go with it.
What can you expect from Fabio Silva?
Evidently, Fabio Silva is a very competent finisher, quite clinical in and around the penalty area, but another of his major strengths is that he's an intelligent footballer with a great understanding of the game. It is this that sets him apart from other players of his age. His awareness on the football pitch ensures he's not just an excellent goalscorer as his youth record illustrates, but he is also great at linking up with the players around him. He can be quite intricate in that respect, able to play one-touch passes to feed the players around him which ultimately means that he can get the wide players more involved and play some defence-cutting through balls to offer an offensive opportunity to a teammate.
He’s therefore also a technically gifted player, and is composed with the ball at his feet as a good dribbler and passer, and this combined with his intelligence and awareness when on the field means that he often makes the correct decision to optimise the end result of an attacking move.
Fans should take to him quite quickly too, as he’s proven to be a very hard-working player, and will be willing to put a shift in with his pressing and his defensive duties, which means that even when out of possession he can have a significant impact on the game.
His physicality will likely be an issue early on in his time in the English Premier League - though he was often difficult to get the ball off at youth level and could hold it up until other players arrived to help out. But it’s very different at senior level, and it could take time for him to be able to do the same as effectively in the English top flight. After all, he is only 18 - his physicality and aggression will improve as his career goes on.
There is therefore plenty to be excited about regarding Fabio Silva, who is a player that can have a significant impact on Wolves now, but even more so for the next decade.