Premier League giants Arsenal have joined Leicester City in the pursuit of Porto’s young striker Andre Silva, according to reports in the Portuguese press.
Portuguese publication O Jogo have claimed that Arsenal are interested in Porto striker Andre Silva. The 20-year-old has been on Arsene Wenger’s radar for a long time now and his recent form has alerted the Gunners and their French manager, who has reportedly sent scouts to watch the striker in action.
Andre Miguel Valente Da Silva joined the youth academy at Porto in 2011 and came up through the ranks to lock down a regular place in the first-team setup at the club. The striker was in sublime form last season for the Porto B squad in the Portuguese second division with a prolific return of 14 goals and 3 assists in 29 appearances.
The youngster has become a regular face in Porto’s starting lineup this season and seems to be improving every week. Andre Silva, who wears the number 10 jersey, already has 5 goals and an assist to his name in only 7 league games this season.
The Portuguese’s form has caught the attention of Arsene Wenger, who has been rumoured to have kept tabs on the player ever since he impressed in the 2015 Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand. The Frenchman has sent representatives to monitor the player, who has already made his senior debut for Portugal and has 2 caps to his name.
Arsenal, though, are likely to face competition from defending Premier League champions Leicester City, with their manager Claudio Ranieri also keen on the player. The Foxes have been rumoured to be tracking the player for a considerable amount of time and sent representatives earlier this season to watch him in action.
Arsenal have already signed experienced Spanish striker Lucas Perez from La Liga, but Wenger is still keen to add attacking options to his squad. To that end, Andre Silva’s impressive form may just earn him a move to the North Londoners.
Leicester City also signed a striker in Algeria international Islam Slimani, who seems to have hit the ground running. However, Ranieri would be troubled by the form of Jamie Vardy and could bring in Andre Silva to beef up their attack, which seems to lack the edge and killer instinct which was so evident last term.
Arsenal and Leicester City can both make their case for adding another attacker to their squad and Andre Silva, at 20, could provide them with a long-term option. Porto, though, are known to be tough negotiators and are unlikely to let the player go unless a huge offer is made.
It would be interesting to see which club takes the first step and converts their interest into a concrete bid. However, the 20-year-old looks set to have a glittering career regardless of his future destination.
