The André Silva gamble: Why Werder might bet on him again | OneFootball

It’s been an eventful summer for SV Werder Bremen, but it doesn’t look like they’re done with their offseason preparations.

According to German outlet DeichStube, the club are linked with a move for RB Leipzig striker Andre Silva. It’s a player they’re quite familiar with, as he actually ended last season on loan with them after coming over in January.

A short, forgettable spell

That short spell is why the news was a bit of a surprise. Silva arrived in Bremen needing to find his feet again, as he saw minutes on the field hard to come by. He failed to do that, though.

He struggled early on, and it was clear he was rusty. The former Portuguese international was off the pace, and his only goal in his first six appearances was from the penalty spot. He even had a penalty kick saved during this time.

Werder couldn’t afford to give him more opportunities. He only featured one final time before the campaign was done, which meant seven contests where he didn’t even come off the bench. It was a tough sight for all involved.

The club gave him a nice send-off on the final day, but it was obvious that there wasn’t a future for the two. His loan was over, and there was no reason to bring him back if they weren’t going to play him.

Or so everyone thought.

New season, new context

Fast-forward a few months and Silva is reportedly a top target for Werder. They’ve made some smart signings already, including experienced defender Maximilian Wöber and promising winger Samuel Mbangula. Now they are in search of a new number 9.

If there was one part of the pitch the German side needed new blood, it was up top. They didn’t have a single consistent goalscorer last campaign. Marvin Ducksch was volatile, Keke Topp was too young, and the pair of Marco Grüll and Justin Njinmah are better suited in wider roles.

That hurt them. They got goals from those names on occasion, and help came from other areas of the team like midfielder Jens Stage and wingback Mitchell Weiser, but it wasn’t enough.

A calculated gamble

If Bremen want to finally make a legitimate European push, they need someone who can provide goal contributions on a weekly basis. Niclas Füllkrug isn’t interested in a homecoming just yet, so they have to look elsewhere.

They also need to find a bargain deal, if possible. They’re far from the richest club in the world, and they already spent over 10 million on the aforementioned Mbangula. The transfer budget is very tight.

That’s likely why they’ve shown such an interest in Silva. His value is almost at an all-time low, and he might be available for around 3 million Euros. For someone who has hit the heights he has in his career, that’s a remarkably low figure.

As a result, he’s an incredible investment opportunity. The forward still has talent, and if he can find something close to his old form again, he’ll burst onto the scene like in 2021. That would be a ton of goals for a fraction of the price in this market.

There’s also hope that he’s a better fit for the upcoming system. New manager Horst Steffen will likely utilize a front three, including a striker that has wingers playing off of him on either side. This set up should suit Silva, who likes to drop deep and link up play before bursting into the box to pounce on balls from out wide.

Boom or bust

However, there's a massive elephant in the room. Silva hasn’t come close to playing at a high level in a while. He only has six goals in his last two seasons. That’s a shocking return, no matter what situations he’s been in. He might simply not be a Bundesliga-level attacker anymore.

If a move ends up coming to fruition, it feels as likely to go incredibly well as it does to fall apart completely. The striker could rediscover himself, leading Werder to a surprise charge up the league table. He could also fail to show up one last time, which would bring this storyline to a bitter end for both him and the club.

Only time will tell, but this is certainly an interesting story to keep an eye on going into the final stretch of the German summer.