Gary O’Neil makes Fábio Silva transfer hint amid Ajax and Leverkusen ‘interest’

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil has made a subtle indication about the future of wonderkid striker Fábio Silva.

The Portuguese forward started Wolves’ 4-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon and put in a fiery performance up top.

Although on the wrong end of a rather devastating scoreline, Silva made a decent account for himself as he made his presence known, causing issues for the Seagulls’ defenders.

The 21-year-old did miss a huge opportunity in the first half when it was still 1-0 – overshadowing his overall display somewhat – but he still impressed.

Transfer speculation has been rife surrounding Silva after two successful loan spells in Europe throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

First at Anderlecht, the former Porto man netted 11 goals in 32 appearances before moving to PSV Eindhoven and scoring five times in 19 games.

Upon his return to Wolves this summer, rumours spread like wildfire that he was unhappy at the club and wanted to make a permanent transfer to the nearby continent.

The likes of Ajax Amsterdam, Bayer Leverkusen and Villarreal have all been linked, whereas PSV are said to be interested in a reunion.

Fast forward a few weeks, though, and the striker seems to be a little happier under the management of O’Neil, who has hinted at a long-term stay for Silva.

“I thought he worked hard to create situations. I expected him to score, it was a really good chance for him as he’s been working on his finishing,” O’Neil said on Saturday.

“There’s lots still to do but the main thing was to play, give everything and feel part of the group again from the start.

“If we have 38 shots every two games, hopefully then Fábio can have his fair share of goals,” O’Neil continued, indicating Silva’s presence in his plans.

Following the departures of Raúl Jiménez and Diego Costa, there’s certainly room for Silva to earn a decent amount of game time this season.

Wolves of course don’t have European football at their disposal but the appeal of the Premier League should be enough, many would assume.