When Jeff Shi decided to delve into the Wolves coffers and sign Fabio Silva from Porto for a club-record fee of £35.6m, it raised a lot of eyebrows.
The money spent was a huge statement from the Old Gold as they looked to get back into Europe.
Unfortunately, that colossal sum has not been worth much. Silva has looked energised at times but on a very rare basis has he made an impact.
At the age of 18, you are never going to be the finished product and it’s helpful that he’s still got such a high ceiling to climb towards.
That said, regardless of his age, you expect a man to perform when you part ways with that much cash.
Unfortunately, the teenager has scored just three goals since penning terms at Molineux.
It would be a surprise if Silva didn’t eventually come good but this summer Nuno Santo and co need to look more firepower.
We’ve waxed lyrical about the exploits of Rafa Mir this season. If he returns to the Midlands then he could offer a big helping hand after his 12 La Liga goals for Huesca this term.
Considering he hasn’t scored in Wolves colours it wouldn’t be the worst loss in the world if he did depart though.
One club considering a move are his former employers Valencia as they aim to tie down a deal that could include South Korean sensation Lee Kang-In.
The attacker currently has a release clause of £71m but the Spanish side clearly doesn’t rate him as high as that if they’re willing to exchange him in a deal for Mir.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-news-and-views-lingard-leao-jimenez-mir” title= “Read the latest Wolves news and views!”]
It’s hard to suggest he doesn’t have much potential. The 20-year-old, who can play through the middle or out wide, has caught the eye for Valencia this term, so much so that he was named in Goal’s top 50 Next Generation list.
It’s easy to see why too. He’s not started a great number of games this term but still has four assists in 21 outings. Possessing creativity in abundance, he houses the ability to dazzle in possession of the ball.
Kang-In has already been compared to the magical David Silva and he can certainly make things happen more regularly than Wolves’ record signing.
The South Korea international has managed 0.9 key passes per match this term, completing 1.4 dribbles in the process. He is also fouled 1.8 times an outing.
There is a significant disparity between his attributes in this regard to Silva. The Portuguese wonderkid has managed just 0.3 key passes and only 0.1 dribbles per game for Wolves.
Kang-In would not only be a hugely marketable signing but he’d bring a lot to the field of play too.
South Korea legend Yoo Sang-cheol once said: “He absorbs knowledge like a sponge. He is the ace of the team with excellent speed, shooting and defensive technique.”
Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo added in 2018: “He is willing to learn every day, regardless of whether he is in first or second-team training. He is a player with outstanding talent.”
Kang-In has come on leaps and bounds this season and would be a very shrewd piece of business. He could also give Silva a run for his money.
AND in other news, Forget Jimenez: Wolves could push for Europe again by signing “phenomenal” 30-goal ace…