Settling-in time over: why Fabio Silva must deliver at BVB | OneFootball

In the summer of 2025, BVB signed Portuguese striker Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton Wanderers. BVB paid more than 20 million euros for the player.

His Bundesliga stats so far have been rather modest. 28 appearances, many of them as a substitute, two goals and six assists: that is Silva’s record to date. There have been some good moments, but also a lot of frustration.

There were several reasons for that, including the fact that he was not always used in the ideal role. Silva is a player who does not just stay in the center-forward position, who takes liberties but also needs them. That has to be taken into account tactically, and often it was not, or at least not ideally.

Silva’s season of ups and downs

Even so, there are plenty of positives to take from his first season in the black and yellow shirt. Silva slowly adapted to the demands of the Bundesliga and its physical style of play. On top of that, he learned how BVB operate. That is always important at a traditional club like this.

Before the winter break, there were still plenty of rumors that he wanted to leave the club again, but those became quieter and quieter as the season went on. He understood what matters. And in the second half of the season, his appearances much more clearly showed why he can be so valuable.

Photo: IMAGO

It is not as if Silva is a natural-born goalscorer. He never has been. He is more of a provider, someone who, alongside one or two very dangerous attacking players, creates space and makes an impact in combination play. Of course, with more than 800 minutes played, more than two league goals should be expected, but nobody can expect Silva to tear the league apart on his own.

After a season of ups and downs, the conclusion is that both the player and his performances so far need to be assessed with clear differentiation.

Silva: Now he has to step up

Young players need to be given a certain adjustment period. All the more so when they have generally struggled to find consistency in their careers. That was exactly the case with Silva, who has experienced plenty of club changes.

But football is, after all, a performance-based sport. And at some point, you have to deliver, week after week. Because for BVB, a transfer worth more than 20 million euros is not something you just do casually and then wait to see how things develop.

Fabio Silva is heading into a season that could define his future. He has to use pre-season to convince Niko Kovac that he deserves more playing time. And in those minutes, he then has to show even more than before. Chase every ball, want to score goals, want to bring his teammates into the game.

In short: if he really wants to establish himself at a very high level, then now is the time to deliver.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.