When you’re looking to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play and free up funds for new signings, it always come in useful when you’ve got a potential £20 million asset on your hands.
A £20 million asset who, furthermore, does not appear to be in the plans of your current head coach. One who, despite another difficult season on the pitch, retains the interest of two well-heeled and historic European institutions.
Rangers, Caught Offside reports, are facing up to the prospect of a summer battle with Sevilla and AC Milan should they look to retain the services of a player who has performed only in fits and bursts under Philippe Clement.
Despite an underwhelming tally of just three goals in 17 Scottish Premiership games – five in 23 across all competitions – Caught Offside reports that Rangers would ideally like to keep hold of Fabio Silva for at least the 2023/24 campaign.
But if Wolverhampton Wanderers’ £20 million asking price alone does not kill off those hopes, then Silva’s desire for a fresh start in a new country hammers the final nail into that metaphorical coffin.
Rangers forward a target for Spanish and Italian giants
The former PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht loanee is reportedly on the radar of perennial Europa League champions Sevilla and an AC Milan outfit who have enjoyed real success recently when signing English-based players in need of a new beginning.
Fikayo Tomori, Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek – all formerly of Chelsea – have been reborn with the Rossoneri.
Silva’s versatility, he made his name as a talented young striker at FC Porto but has played largely on the left wing at Rangers, will appeal to plenty of managers across the continent. As will Silva’s age. Just 21 and with plenty of time on the clock to realise his potential.
Still, Silva is not even the most successful left-winger brought in on loan by Rangers this season. The Portugal Under 21 international’s impact has barely touched that of Abdallah Sima.
And if Rangers are to spend heavily turning one short-term deal into a permanent transfer, one suspects that most of an Ibrox persuasion would choose the Brighton and Hove Albion-owned speedster six days out of seven.
Read more: Rangers confirmed signings, transfers in and out, loan exits, releases for 2023/24
Abdallah Sima has outperformed Fabio Silva
“I think he will probably go back to Wolves,” Jamie Murphy, who spent two years at Rangers following spells at Brighton and Hove Albion and Sheffield United, told Go Radio recently. “(Fabio Silva) started off well and has a little bit about him.
“But his performances haven’t really been up to standard in previous weeks.
“I know he has been playing out on the left and it is not his position but I think Rangers will move on from him in the summer. If Rangers have got five, six, seven million to spend on a player in the summer, I don’t think they will spend it on Silva.”
With a host of outgoings expected this summer, and with Rangers overloaded with attacking midfielders and wide forwards, the Glasgow giants are also expected to let the likes of Sam Lammers and Ianis Hagi go.
In terms of incomings, talks have reportedly reached an ‘advanced’ stage for Levski Sofia centre-back Jose Cordoba. Rangers have supposedly lodged a bid worth £2.5 million for the Panama stopper.
