ANDRE SILVA: Rejected In Milan, A god In Deutschland

Bolstered by early successes in his heyday at Portuguese giant Fc Porto, the meteoric rise of current Leipzig forward Andre Silva, has not really been the sweetest of stories. In fact, it is safe to say it was a torrid one.

His early days at Porto, where he rocked the football world by surprise proved promising until Andre made the switch to the Serie A.

HOW IT STARTED

A young Andre Silva between 2012 and 2016, had to shuffle between the U-19 side and the B-team of Fc Porto. Amassing a total of 85 appearances and scoring over 28 goals, the then youngster was deemed fit to feature for the senior side of the Portuguese giant. 

Silva made his competitive debut for the first team in December of 2015, a game where he featured for the duration of the 1–3 home loss against C.S. Marítimo in the Taça da Liga. His league debut came days later, as he replaced Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar for the last 20 minutes of the 2–0 defeat at Sporting CP.

Moving on, the 2015-16 season felt like old for the young Andre Silva as all fingers pointed he would feature more in the B-team than he will in the first, this was due to the fact he was ranked fourth on the list of forwards available to then Manager Julien Lopetegui. As days went by chances of Andre featuring with the first team grew thinner, as Lopetegui acquired the services of two extra forwards, to bolster his side.

However, Andre will eventually get his chance, after now Super Eagles of Nigeria gaffer José Peseiro replaced Julen Lopetegui as head coach of Fc Porto. He featured more in the first-team set-up and eventually grew to be the team’s talisman. An achievement that saw him get his first call-up to the senior national team.

MOVING TO MILAN/THE FALL FROM GRACE

After scoring over 24 goals for the Portuguese giant FC Porto, European giants came knocking for his services and Andre will eventually join 7-time European Champions AC Milan in a deal worth about €38 Million.

His time at Milan will definitely be one Andre hopes to forget forever as he struggled to find his feet in every area and position he was tried in on the field of play.

His poor season saw him find the back of the net just 12 times in over 40 appearances he made. His struggle eventually led him to secure a loan to Spanish La Liga side Sevilla FC.

RESCUE OPERATION SEVILLA

Joining Sevilla under then-manager Pablo Machin appeared to be the breath of fresh air Andre Silva's career needed.

Starting off with a bang and a monstrous performance against Real Madrid which was then coached by the Manager who gave him a less than deserved opportunity at FC Porto, Julen Lopetegui proved to be the awakening.

But just like a flash, the phrase "Oh Darkness My Old Friend" became Andre's reality as his goals eventually dried up, and finding the back of the net became even harder than it was in Milan. His failed loan spell at Sevilla saw him end his campaign with 11 goals in about 40 games.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

September of 2019 proved to be the turning point for Andre Silva as he was included in a 2-year loan swap with then Frankfurt star Ante Rebic.

It took little time for Andre to adapt to the technicalities of the Bundesliga as he raced in with 12 goals in his first 16 starts. It was a performance that moved then Frankfurt manager Adi Hutter, into triggering his €2.7 million purchase option.

This time Andre did not slow down like in previous times rather he kept finding the back of the net whichever way he could.

His goal-scoring abilities eventually saw him make history, as he broke the record for most Bundesliga goals scored in a single season by an Eintracht Frankfurt player with a brace in his side’s 4-3 defeat to Schalke 04. It was a record held by World Cup winner and club legend Bernd Hölzenbein. His record of 26 goals in the German top-flight had stood since the 1976/77 season. Andre eventually ended the campaign with 28 goals.

It was a stellar performance that saw Silva attract offers from various clubs in Europe. He eventually opted to join Bundesliga's big boys RB Leipzig a transfer that was reported to be in the region of €40 million Euro.

Joining RB Leipzig has been a rollercoaster for Andre. From the change of managers to numerous styles of play employed by these managers, it’s been a turbulent journey of adaptation for Andre Silva. Amidst all these dark clouds, one thing Silva will be grateful for is his partnership with a reawaken Christopher Nkunku. Their partnership has yielded over 60 goals this season. Currently third on the log, Domenico Tedesco’s side will hope to give both Bvb09 and Bayern Munich a run for their money.

Apart from goal scoring, Andre Silva has shown over time, that he has the ability to link play and aid progression with ease. Also, Andre's movement in and around the box will be key to his Leipzig side if they are to mount a title chase next season. The Threat he generates in transition play will also come in handy for Domenico Tedesco’s side.