Since the Bundesliga returned from the lockdown at the start of March, there was hardly a more prolific striker than Eintracht Frankfurt’s Andre Silva. The Portuguese hitman scored eight goals in the ten matches he played taking his season’s tally to twelve (Robert Lewandowski hit nine, Timo Werner seven in the same period).
His rich vein of goalscoring form helped the Eagles to finish the season on a high, when it had looked at one stage as if they might be sucked into a relegation fight. In the end Adi Hütter’s side ended the campaign in 9th with Silva as their season’s top scorer.
The 24-year-old didn’t have the best of Hinrundes with only five starts, although he did score in three consecutive matches against Borussia Dortmund, Union Berlin, and Werder Bremen. He was competing with Bas Dost and countryman Gonçalo Paciência for a place in the forward line and more often than not losing out.
He scored the consolation goal as a substitute in the first game back after lockdown in a 3-1 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach, and was then given an extended run as a starter, which paid dividends in his eight goal burst of scoring.
So, all good for Eintracht?
Well the former Porto striker is only on a two-year loan at the Commerzbank Arena and one club perhaps enjoying his scoring more that Eintracht is his parent club Milan. The Italian club are witnessing the player’s transfer valuation rising with every goal and success in front of goal at Frankfurt will ultimately turn into Euros that the Bundesliga club will have to stump up should they want to take up an option to buy the player next summer.
Milan paid €38 million for the Portuguese international in 2017, but when they loaned him to Frankfurt, his potential value had dropped to around €16 million. If he keeps banging the goals in for the Adler and earns a recall to the national team, the Rossonieri will hope to see his value rise to nearer €25 million. Silva’s rise could also be used as collateral in any Milan attempt to sign Ante Rebic on a permanent deal. Bild have also reported recently that ‘another’ Bundesliga club are showing an interest in Silva, so Frankfurt could face competition.
Silva’s goals are good for Eintracht’s league position, but potentially no so good for the finance office at the Commerzbank Arena and their ability to keep him. .
