Kris Boyd shares verdict on Rangers ‘wonderkid’ Fabio Silva in fresh transfer admission
Kris Boyd has shared his verdict on Rangers signing of “wonderkid” Fabio Silva, admitting he doesn’t know if the Portuguese forward will solve their striker problems.
Silva joined Philippe Clement’s ranks at Ibrox on loan from Wolves for the second half of the season and made his Rangers debut just before the winter break as a substitute in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock.
The hope is that Silva will help solve the problems the Light Blues have faced in front of goal in the first half of the season, but Sky Sports pundit Boyd has admitted he isn’t certain that the Wolves loanee is equipped to be that man.
Speaking on Sky Sports (8 January) he said: “Bringing Fabio Silva gives them a new option in that forward area. I don’t know [if he’s a good signing], I really don’t know. When you look at him, he was obviously a wonderkid, he’s now had a couple of loan moves, and they’ve been ok.
“I think it’s an opportunity for him to come in and perform, but I just get the feeling that Rangers in that central area, if you’re going to kick on in the second half of the season, they need someone whose going to take a grip of that position and say it’s mine.
“Is Fabio Silva that man? I’m not quite sure he’s an out-and-out number nine either.”
Not quite sure
As exciting an acquisition as he is, it does feel as though Rangers have signed a bit of an unknown quantity in Silva this January, with no pundits, supporters or journalists entirely sure of how and where the Portuguese gem fits into Clement’s system.
He hasn’t been a genuine number nine during the majority of his loan spells away from Molineux and even when he has been deployed there, he has struggled to score goals at a consistent rate.
If he hits the ground running at Ibrox, he will more than likely help Rangers in their fight at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, but it seems unlikely that he will single-handedly score the goals to fire them to the title.
Hopefully, he’ll be a real difference-maker in the second half of the season and live up to his outrageous potential during his time in Scotland. Still, Boyd is right to remain slightly uncertain about the Wolves loanee.
In other Rangers news, Michael Beale has fired a jibe at the Old Firm clubs following Sunderland’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle