Benfica could let another gifted attacker move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January with Rafa Silva’s future in Portugal uncertain.
Since Iberian super-agent Jorge Mendes took up his unofficial ‘sporting director’ role at Wolves upon the club’s takeover by Fosun International in 2016, the club have brought in a raft of players from Portugal’s top flight – including three from reigning Champions Benfica.
That figure could become four in January. Because Portuguese paper Record report that there is a real chance that Benfica winger Rafa Silva could join his many compatriots at Molineux in the New Year.
Silva became the second most expensive player in Benfica’s history when they signed him from SC Braga for £14.5 million in the latter stages of the 2016 transfer window.
But the versatile 24-year-old, who can play on the right or through the middle, has not lived up to his huge transfer fee so far. Silva scored just twice in 20 Primeira Liga appearances last season and has fallen down the pecking order so far this time round with just one league start and 153 minutes of action.
As such, the report claims that Benfica would consider letting the ten-time Portugal international leave the Estadio Da Luz in January with a loan move potentially on the cards.
And while Wolves are not short of creative talent, fellow Iberians Diogo Jota, Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro providing the ammunition for Brazilian striker Leo Bonatini, Silva could be a cut above the rest if he finds the form that saw him emerge as arguably Portugal’s most exciting youngster prior to his ill-fated move to Benfica.
Nicknamed ‘the Portuguese Eden Hazard’, per FourFourTwo, Silva emerged through the same Sporting Lisbon academy that produced Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Luis Figo and more.
The same publication also reports that Silva was linked with Liverpool and Manchester United in the summer of 2016 but could finally move to England in January – albeit in the Championship instead.
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