Monaco Transfer May Be The Gamble André Silva Needs For His Career

Reports from Corriere Della Sera today linked AC Milan striker André Silva with a €32m move to AS Monaco. After a disappointing first season in Italy, it appears Milan are ready to cut their losses on the striker, making a loss on the sale of €6m as they attempt to steer clear of FFP restrictions and fund a summer move for a 20-goal striker like Ciro Immobile or Álvaro Morata.

While the Rossoneri would be remiss to part ways with Silva after just one season, a permanent transfer to Monaco could be just the move Silva needs to rejuvenate his career.

At 22, Silva still has various facets of his game he needs to iron out before he can join the ranks of Europe’s top strikers. Playing in a low-pressure environment like Monaco, which has a very similar climate to that of his ex-club Porto, would be just what Silva needs to become Portugal’s next top striker.

Since Dmitry Rybolovlev took charge of the principality club in 2011, few clubs have polished talent and gotten youngsters on the path to greatness like Monaco have. The adaptation process should be fairly smooth for Silva as well: ex-Portistas João Moutinho and Radamel Falcao have found success at Monaco and to this day, are still established starters at the club. In the summer of 2013, James Rodríguez left Porto to test himself in Monaco. A year later, he was unveiled as Real Madrid’s new #10. Few clubs are as reliably excellent at refining talents as Monaco, and Silva would be wise to try his luck there.

Under Leonardo Jardim, Silva will be able to learn from his compatriot the ins and outs of the attacking trade. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Anthony Martial, and Bernardo Silva all made significant progress under the Portuguese manager’s tutelage before moving on to a bigger club, while Thomas Lemar and Rony Lopes have also flourished under his watchful gaze. It may be unrealistic for Silva to replicate Kylian Mbappé’s success at Monaco, but it is obvious that Monaco is an optimal haven for burgeoning talents to go to.

Silva could play as a partner to Falcao in a 4-4-2, but with Falcao turning 33 next February, he could very well be replacing him soon. When the Colombian falls prey to Father Time, Silva could be playing alone up top, or partnering teenage phenomenon Pietro Pellegri. With an abundance of playmaking tools, Silva has the ability to fit like a glove next to an old-fashioned tiger in the box like Falcao. Should the potential Monaco transfer end up having the same effects it had on Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, and co., Silva may be finding himself as a crucial mainstay for Portugal’s national team sooner than he thinks.

There aren’t many places that can offer Champions League football, or a sunny, idyllic climate, or a world-class production line, but Monaco offers all three. If Milan want to abandon their project in hopes of signing a proven striker who can lead them back to the Champions League, they’re well within their rights to do so. Silva, for his next move, would do well to escape the media spotlight placed upon him in Milan, and instead, polish his skills at one of the best talent refineries in Europe.