After waiting over four years for his work permit to go through, Brazilian winger Wellington Silva has secured the proper documentation and finally will be eligible to play with Arsenal in 2015.
Signed from Fluminense in 2010 for a transfer fee of $5.7 million, Silva has spent the last four years in an on-loan Spanish whirlwind, having moved from Levante to Alcoyano to Ponferradina to Murcia to Almeria, where he currently plays.
Having been granted the relevant paperwork, Silva said: “It is very important for me. I could go back to Arsenal next season if Wenger wants me to.”
But, he said, “I am not going to worry about my future and my only desire right now is to help Almeria preserve their La Liga status.... At this moment, I am focused on the present.”
Cracking Arsenal’s attacking three will prove incredibly difficult for the 21-year-old as Wenger’s side currently boasts arguably the deepest group of attackers in the Premier League. For example, the highly-rated Joel Campbell spent two successful seasons on loan - one at Real Betis in Spain and one with Champions League side Olympiacos in Greece - before returning to the Gunners. Yet his exploits in those stints, as well as his achievements in the 2014 World Cup with Costa Rica, has only resulted in a return of two Premier League appearances this season. And Silva hardly has the reputation of Campbell, let alone fellow benchmate Lukas Podolski.
In six La Liga appearances with Almeria this year, Silva has notched a single assist but no goals. In his previous three years he featured in 72 matches in the Spanish Segunda, scoring nine times and chipping in with five assists. A versatile winger who can also play as a secondary striker, Silva also featured in the 2009 U-17 World Cup.
