EXCLUSIVE: Gary O’Neil fuels Fabio Silva exit talk in January as Wolves boss snubs Portuguese star in striker discussion after Brentford win with player now looking likely to leave Molineux next month
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has hinted the club could move players on this January as Rangers continue to be linked to Fabio Silva.
The young Premier League boss, 40, also failed to mention the Portuguese hitman when talking about a lack of striker options at Molineux.
Rangers-linked Fabio Silva, 21, remains highly-rated at the Premier League side but has found chances at a premium under O’Neil this season.
The attacker was once again nowhere to be seen as Wolves battered Brentford 4-1, with South Korean striker Hwang Hee-chan scoring twice in the match and fellow hitman Sasa Kalajdzic an unused substitute.
Speaking after the Brentford game, Gary O’Neil was quizzed on the situation with the club’s frontline and admitted there would be some transfer business in the West Midlands this January.
Hwang Hee-chan is set to play at the Asian Cup with South Korea whilst Rayan Aït-Nouri is set to go to the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
But there was no mention of Fabio Silva as a potential forward option in the squad as the Wolves manager admitted there could be ins and outs at Wolves next month.
Fabio Silva has not been seen since the 2-1 Wolves defeat to Sheffield United at the start of November.
“We will try and do some stuff definitely because Channy and Sasa are our only No 9s and Channy is not really a 9, we use him there because we are short there,” O’Neil told Amazon after the match.
“He is going to go away on international duty, Rayan will be away, so there is a little bit we need to do, of course. But it’ll be within what’s right for the club, maybe a few going out.”
Rangers have been linked to Fabio Silva by several sources in recent weeks, with the reports originating in Portugal.
Wolves splashed a reported £35m to sign Fabio Silva back in 2020 after the youngster broke through as a teenager at FC Porto.
Having signed a new contract last season, the 21-year-old remains highly-rated at the Premier League side who’ve shown a willingness to let the striker go out on loan to develop.
After signing the new deal, Fabio Silva spent time out on loan at Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven, where new Rangers Director of Recruitment Nils Koppen worked last season.
The Ibrox side have utilised the loan market well in recent seasons with Brighton forward Abdallah Sima and Bayern Munich talent Malik Tillman the stand-out examples.
Reportedly also rivalling Old Firm rivals Celtic for Fabio Silva’s signature, it’s one to watch heading into January and Gary O’Neill’s comments will only add to the speculation.
Philippe Clement is very much in the hunt for a new striker with Danilo’s season destroyed by a knee injury and Kemar Roofe nursing a fresh problem.
Fabio Silva has made 10 appearances for Wolves this season, scoring one goal. That solitary strike came in the EFL Cup win over Blackpool – one of only three Silva starts this season.
