Whatever happened to Wellington Silva? | OneFootball

Once tipped as Arsenal’s next Brazilian star, Wellington Silva never played a senior game in England.

16 years later, he’s still chasing defenders – in China.

Photo by Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images

When Wellington Silva signed for Arsenal in December 2009, there was genuine excitement that the club had unearthed another Brazilian gem.

A £3.5m arrival from Fluminense, his dribbling and flair had caught the eye in youth matches and trials. Yet, he would never play a single senior game for the club, his career in North London stalled not by footballing limitations but by bureaucracy.

For five years Silva’s story was one of loan moves. Arsenal’s repeated attempts to secure a work permit failed, forcing him into a carousel of temporary homes in Spain with Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina, Murcia and Almería.

When he finally secured a Spanish passport in 2015, the long wait was over. By then, however, his Arsenal chances had passed him by.

A loan to Bolton Wanderers followed, where he played 22 Championship matches and scored twice, but it was not enough to force a breakthrough.

In 2016 he left without ever pulling on the Arsenal shirt competitively, sold back to Fluminense.

“I am very happy,” Silva said on his return. “Desire to return has always existed. When I learned that it was possible I was nervous for 10 days. I am very happy and I have no words to thank. Now I have to train and get on to the field as quickly as possible.” His relief was obvious.

Silva rebuilt his career in Brazil with Fluminense, making 79 appearances and scoring 14 goals, with a later loan spell at Internacional adding to his Série A experience.

In 2021 he headed to Japan with Gamba Osaka, clocking over 30 games in the J-League before returning to Brazil with Cuiabá and Sport Recife.

photo via bwfc.co.uk

Stints in Saudi Arabia with Al-Najma and now in China with Qingdao Hainiu have added to his passport stamps.

International football never came beyond youth level. Despite caps for Brazil’s U17s and U21s, the senior team was always a step too far.

Looking back, Wellington Silva was a reminder of how Arsenal’s strategy of signing South American teenagers often fell foul of the Home Office.

At 32, he is at his 14th club, still running at defenders. The only money to ever change hands for him was between Arsenal and Fluminense – the €4m the Gunners paid to sign him and the €3m they received when they sold him.

Every other move was either a loan or a free.

He’s made 22 appearances this season so far with eight gaols and one assist.