The bubble in the transfer market, somewhat deflated although not finished by the crisis caused by the coronavirus, is accelerating the processes. The young people who stand out the most spend much less time in the top squads of their training clubs who cannot resist the important offers that come from the superpowers of world football or from the major leagues.
The last case is that of Fabio Silva, a pearl of the Porto quarry of only 18 years for whom Wolverhampton has paid 40 million euros to reinforce its forward. The price is striking and more when you look at your data as a professional between the first team and the subsidiary, which plays in Second: 786 minutes spread over 24 games (four starts with the first team, three with B) and three goals, one against Familacao in the League (3-0) and two in the Cup against Coimbroes (0-5) and against Vitória Setúbal (4-0). His talent did shine brightly in the last Youth League and in his domestic league with a total of 20 goals in 26 games with the youth in 18/19. His quality and role as a star of the team with Romario Baró in the youth championship was endorsed by Sergio Conceicao, who gave him a gap and playing time in the first team, breaking multiple club records for precocity.
Now, Wolves have acquired one of the most important promises in Portugal who is, since this Saturday, the most expensive player in their history, exceeding the 38 'kilos' that Raúl Jiménez paid to Benfica in 19/20. Her talent is not in doubt but her 'exam' in the elite has been really brief although her talent already made her star in national sports press covers when she was in the youth. In just a few days the Premier League awaits you, one of the most competitive leagues in the world, where he will have to convince his compatriot Nuno to have minutes before Raúl Jiménez, Leo Bonatini and Leonardo Campana.
The Wolves and Fabio Silva project aims at a 'simmering' kitchen: polishing the talent, putting it to the test at the first level and then reselling it for even more to a top club. This, if all goes well. For now, the confidence in his talent has cost him 'seven zeros', becoming the sixth signing for which Porto has entered the most, tied with Hulk and Falcao and just ten below Militao or five behind James or Mangala. A promise at the price of crack.
A football family that played in eternal rivals
Fabio Silva was born and raised with a ball at his feet as a hobby and also, by family tradition. His father, Jorge Silva, was a professional for more than 20 years in different Portuguese teams. In 94, he made the leap to the Boavista first team and also played for Académica Coimbra, Leiria, Beira-Mar, Feirense and Gondomar, where he hung up his boots in 2011, when Fabio was just a kid. There, he made the jump to the bench, although he has not trained since 2017.
Before Fabio, the first professional in the family was Jorge Silva Jr, older brother of the now Wolves forward. After passing through the quarries of Gondomar, Porto and Benfica, the oldest of the Silva brothers ended up in the Lazio academy. Early in the season, Inzaghi made him a hole in the first squad and although he has been called up in up to ten Serie A games, he has not made his debut for the Romans.
Like his brother Jorge, Fabio also went through the Benfica quarry. From 2015 to 2017 he was in Lisbon and then returned to Porto, where he has left up to 40 million euros without becoming a regular starter in the first team. In the youth, yes, he was key with his five goals to make them European champions of the category.