Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger likes to nurture and develop a young talent and is also someone who can recognise a talent when he sees one. In the last few years, almost all of the young players scouted by Wenger have gone on to become established names in the footballing world, making an impact on the senior squad.
The Gooners thus get very excited when the club scouts any young player. The latest name in that list is 20-year-old Portuguese striker Andre Silva. It must be said that the youngster has already made a huge impact in his homeland with his reputation almost growing exponentially with every game at the moment.
Portuguese daily O Jogo has reported that Arsenal are very interested in the player with Arsene Wenger sending scouts to watch him in action when Porto visited the King Power Stadium to face Leicester in their last group game of the Champions League. Silva’s career has been a real story so far with the player having to choose between football and roller hockey at one time!
S.C Salgueiros youth Coach Rafael Santos convinced him to opt for football instead of roller hockey and trained him as his first coach to prepare the base of what has already come in handy at present. Having spent time mostly as a winger or an attacking midfielder/playmaker helped the player develop his skills from an early age with the understanding of the game. The club’s biggest icon ‘Deco’ was the one who glamorised the role of the playmaker which Silva obliged proudly during his early playing days.
Having scored a surprise winner against Porto in 2010, he was signed by the Blue and Whites for a sum of €1000. It was at Porto Silva started playing as a striker and developed into a highly efficient penalty area predator.
Having broken into the senior squad last season making 14 appearances in total scoring three goals, the striker has exploded onto the scene this season. Silva has 5 goals to his name already in the 7 league matches and has also struck once in Europe this season.
After represented Portugal at every youth level and having an unbelievable scoring record with the u-19, u-20 and u-21 side, the striker received his first international call-up to the senior squad on August 2016. Silva was the first player to score four goals in a match at the 2014 UEFA European U-19 Championship when he banged in the goals against Hungary and finished the tournament as the runner-up.
Andre Silva has already amassed a record of 16 goals in 24 games with the U-19 squad, 8 goals in 10 games with the U-20 and 4 goals in 3 games with the U-21 and is yet to score for the national team having played two times.
A player who possesses great technique and a wonderful understanding having played as a winger and a playmaker, his displays as a striker have earmarked him as the next great hope for his country which has not produced a centre forward of quality in recent years.
He previously had a contract with his current side till 2019 with a release clause of €25m which the club increased to €60m with the improved contract he signed in August of this year to extend his stay at the Estadio do Dragao till 2021.
With Arsene Wenger very interested in the player it is evident that he has an exciting future ahead of him and the signs so far tell that the 20-year old has what it needs to be the real deal of world football in the future.
