David Silva: Overrated or a welcome addition to the Premier League?

David Silva is a player I would not call overrated; a lot of praise goes his way from the media in a number of football-following countries but it is generally warranted. Silva, along with David Villa and Juan Mata, has formed the basis of a very strong attacking side which Valencia have used to their advantage to consistently compete for a European spot and it could definitely be said that Silva is the most creative of the trio. The Premiership loves players who can create – whether for themselves or for their team-mates; look at Cristiano Ronaldo – the Portuguese created many chances (for himself) and was adored by his fans. Silva is more of a Fabregas-esque creator who will find his team-mates with sublime through balls and passes which will often result in a goal. He’s versatile, quick and reads the game sublimely which has led to many Valencia fans comparing him with former Valencia star Pablo Aimar (whose shirt number Silva has inherited).

Silva tends to play for Valencia in the hole behind the main striker (David Villa usually) as the standard playmaker and his ability to do so is excellent but what makes this more impressive is that Silva is not naturally a central midfielder and is constantly playing out of position whilst he impresses. Silva is a left winger by trade and began his Valencia career on the left wing but was then shoved into the middle to accommodate young Juan Mata and because the Valencia staff thought him the most capable to play as their playmaker following Aimar’s departure from the club, which has proven a sound decision. Silva is versatile and can play anywhere along the midfield, even on the right. Whilst he plays for Valencia in the middle of the pitch he usually plays for Spain in his natural position of left winger. He’s extremely fast and has an eye for a cross and tends to know exactly where his team mates are even without looking up.

The main argument for saying that Silva would not be a good addition to the Premiership is that at 5’7” he is a very small player with a small frame and he could be bullied off the ball too easily. This could be true, yes, and undoubtedly some teams would ensure that Silva was not allowed time on the ball and was constantly forced off it should he play in the Premiership – the English game is more physical than the Spanish after all. Yet small, thin players have succeeded in the Premiership before so there’s no reason why Silva can’t – players like Juninho of Middlesbrough have been idolised in the Premiership despite being small like Silva. Robinho’s done a fine job at Manchester City to date and he’s of a very similar stature to Silva. I would go as far as saying that Silva is a better player than Robinho so if the Brazilian can survive in the Premiership then the Spanish ace can too. Obviously adaptation to a different league can be difficult but a player of Silva’s quality will always find a way to succeed.

Premiership teams with an interest in the Spanish international will have to get a move on to get hold of Silva though as the interest in Spain has intensified with Real Madrid claiming to have already made a deal to sign him in January. This is probably untrue; Real Madrid constantly claim they’ve signed new players through the media and usually it turns out to be a lie to stir things between the player and his club but there is definite interest from the giants in the player. There’s also the possibility that Barcelona could renew their interest in him despite seemingly preferring to sign Robinho in the coming transfer window.

Foreign playmakers arriving in the Premiership always have high expectations on them, particularly when they cost a large transfer fee like Silva surely would, Juan Sebastian Veron can confirm that for you. There’s no guarantee that Silva would succeed in the Premiership should he move to England, football’s a temperamental game where the fates of players is unpredictable, but a player of Silva’s abilities should be more than capable of succeeding away from home – especially given that he can operate as a winger should his playmaker skills not be needed. The question as to where he would go in the Premiership is a good one though – Manchester United are touted as favourites to sign him, Chelsea are linked with different players instead, Arsenal and Liverpool can’t afford him (though he could form an awesome partnership with Fernando Torres should Steven Gerrard be absent) and teams like Manchester Ciy and Tottenham are probably too small for him to consider joining – particularly when the likes of Real Madrid are chasing his signature. The likelihood is that Silva will stay in Spain and he probably will end up playing for Real Madrid eventually but if the big Premiership teams have sense, and the funds available, they should move for him first because he’s a player who deserves all his praise – he’s top quality and could succeed anywhere.