Arsene Wenger called £3.5m Brazilian “stunning to watch” at Arsenal - Bolton Wanderers may disagree | OneFootball

Arsene Wenger's praise for Wellington Silva did not live up to expectations during his loan spell at Bolton

Bolton Wanderers fans may wonder what Arsene Wenger was thinking when he claimed that Wellington Silva is “stunning to watch” when he made the switch from Arsenal on loan in the 2015 summer transfer window.

The Whites were in their fourth season back in the Championship after suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2012.

While it had been a tricky few years for the club both on and off the pitch, it was hoped eye-catching deals like the one for the Brazilian would help the team improve their performances and results.

Bolton had finished a disappointing 18th in the table in the previous campaign, and supporters were hopeful that the Arsenal youngster could help power them back into the top half.

Neil Lennon’s side didn’t win in the league until their sixth game, a 2-1 victory at home to Wolves, in a run of form that set the tone for the rest of the year.

Arsene Wenger praised Arsenal's Wellington Silva ahead of Bolton Wanderers move

The Arsenal youngster had spent the previous couple of years out on loan in Spain, including a season in the top flight with Almería. Silva was initially brought to North London at the age of 18 from Fluminese in a reported £3.5 million deal back in 2011, but struggled to obtain a work permit and was subsequently farmed out on a succession of loan moves.

He made 31 appearances in La Liga, with Almeria enduring a tough campaign and a 19th place finish that relegated them to the second tier.

However, Wenger was keen to highlight Silva’s strengths following confirmation of his move to the Championship.

The iconic French coach backed his academy graduate to make a big impact for Bolton, suggesting he’d also be quite an entertaining presence in the side.

“He’s a creative, tricky, quick player,” said Wenger, via Arsenal’s official website.

“He’s absolutely stunning to watch and I believe Bolton will be surprised by his quality.

“I believe he will do extremely well because he has gained a lot of experience in Spain, he has come back to England and I am confident he will have a big impact in the Championship.”

But that absolutely did not come to fruition, and supporters will be wondering what happened.

Silva failed to live up to Wenger’s comments, as he contributed just two goals and two assists from 22 appearances in the second division.

His first goal came in a 4-3 loss to QPR in October, while his second didn't arrive until a 2-2 draw with Wolves in February.

Bolton ultimately suffered relegation, as Silva failed to make much of an impact in the side.

The Whites finished bottom of the table, with Lennon being sacked as manager in March.

Silva played just once following the change in head coach, coming off the bench in a humiliating 6-0 loss to Bristol City on 19 March. The Brazilian winger, once earmarked as an outstanding prodigy within the game, did display fleeting moments of brilliance but failed to have the desired impact and often flattered to deceive as Bolton endured a nightmare campaign.

Wellington Silva’s unremarkable career after Bolton Wanderers stint

Bolton supporters won’t be surprised when they discover that Silva’s career following his loan stint at the club was quite underwhelming.

He was unable to live up to Wenger’s promising comments elsewhere, and he immediately left Arsenal that summer.

The winger made the move back to Brazil, signing for Fluminense on a permanent basis.

He spent a total of five years with the South American giants, which did include a loan spell away to Nacional from 2018 to 2020.

Silva was never able to cement himself as a key figure for Fluminense, making 60 league appearances across three campaigns at the club, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists.

His spell at Nacional didn’t go much better either, with the now 32-year-old contributing just two goals and two assists from 31 league games across two years.

When it wasn’t working for Silva in Brazil, he went to Japan, spending two seasons with Gamba Osaka, where he again struggled to leave a real mark.

Silva has moved around to the likes of Cuiaba, Sport Recife and Qingdao Hainiu in the years since, while Bolton themselves now look to cement their place back in the Championship after a difficult decade since his loan ended.

While they did return to the second division briefly from 2017 to 2019, the Whites went on to suffer back-to-back relegations to League Two before stabilising in League One.

The deal for Silva didn’t deter either club from working together again, to their benefit now, but it might prove to be the last time that the League One side ever listens to Wenger again.