Wolves will be saying numerous goodbyes to some of their players in the summer transfer window, and Fabio Silva is someone who looks certain to leave Molineux.
The Portuguese striker has been with Wolves since 2020, when he joined in a then-club-record £35 million move from Porto as an 18-year-old.
But unfortunately, Silva has flopped at Wolves and failed to repay his whopping price tag with just five goals in 72 appearances.
The 22-year-old has spent his latest years out on loan, most recently with Las Palmas, where he’s hit 10 goals and three assists in La Liga.
That excellent run of form has resulted in Silva attracting interest from as many as nine clubs, one of which could help Vitor Pereira land one of his key targets.
How Fabio Silva could help Wolves sign Alexander Sorloth
It emerged in January that Atletico Madrid were interested in signing Silva after watching him reach prolific levels in the Spanish top division.
Diego Simeone was complimentary of Silva in April, lauding the youngster for his ‘tremendous effort’ and how ‘physically strong’ he is in attack.
Silva also previously showed his admiration for Atletico Madrid, labelling them ‘one of the best’ teams on the planet when asked about interest from the Spanish giants.
It seems possible that Simeone could sign the Portugal international this summer, and that could open up the door for the ‘phenomenal’ Alexander Sorloth to leave.
Reports indicate Wolves are in the mix to sign Sorloth, who has scored 21 goals in all competitions, with only Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Ante Budimir and Raphinha netting more than his total of 17 in La Liga.
Although the Norwegian moving to Molineux seems unlikely with Newcastle and Aston Villa both interested, Silva could be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations, perhaps offering him as part of any deal for the 29-year-old.
How Sorloth compares to Jorgen Strand Larsen
It isn’t just Atletico’s interest in Silva that could work in Wolves’ favour, as Norwegian international teammate Jorgen Strand Larsen could persuade him to join the club.
Strand Larsen has been a revelation since moving to Molineux initially on loan last summer, becoming their key focal point in attack, something they haven’t arguably had since Raul Jimenez.
The 25-year-old has also shown a clinical edge in front of goal, surpassing double figures for Premier League goals in his debut campaign while running Sorloth close with his attacking metrics.
| Jorgen Strand Larsen (Premier League) | Statistic | Alexander Sorloth (La Liga) |
| 33 | Appearances | 32 |
| 13 | Goals | 17 |
| 1.6 | Shots per game | 2 |
| 25% | Goal conversion | 26% |
| 2 | Assists | 2 |
| 5 | Big chances created | 2 |
| 2 (41%) | Aerial duels won per game | 2.8 (65%) |
As shown by the above table, there isn’t much to separate the two players across their shooting and creative statistics, suggesting Sorloth would be an excellent option to challenge, or perhaps even start ahead of Strand Larsen.