Wolves' squad is getting thinner and thinner ahead of their season opener against Leeds United next month, with Bruno Lage set to send another player out on loan in Fabio Silva.

What's the word?

According to football journalist Fabrizio Romano, the teenage forward will join Anderlecht on loan for the 2022/23 campaign, with a deal set to be completed in the coming days.

"Anderlecht are set to sign Fábio Silva on loan from Wolves. Belgian club will pay full salary until June 2023," he tweeted. "Fábio Silva has already accepted the destination, waiting for the deal to be completed."

The 19-year-old has hardly set the world alight since joining from Porto in a club-record deal in 2020, but considering Wolves' lack of goals last season, it is a surprise to see Lage sending the striker out on loan.

The Old Gold are still yet to sign anyone in the transfer window and have lost players such as Romain Saiss, Ruben Vinagre and Marcal, which leaves Lage with a dearth of senior options at Molineux.

Supporters will be fuming

Although Silva failed to find the back of the net in any of his 25 appearances for Wolves last season, he is still only 19 and has been thrown in at the deep end in his Wolves career thus far.

He arrived in a foreign country with the weight of a £35.6m transfer fee hanging over him, while he was expected to lead the line following Raul Jimenez's fractured skull, which he clearly wasn't ready for.

However, he showed glimpses of ability last season, particularly in his League Cup appearances, where he averaged an impressive 7.44 rating from WhoScored.

Fans would have perhaps hoped to see him afforded more starts next season and once that first goal went in, there likely would have been a huge weight lifted off the young striker's shoulders.

The Old Gold were the fourth-lowest scorers in the Premier League last season and while Silva's lack of goals were certainly a factor in that, it doesn't make too much sense to weaken your attacking options when you have been so poor in front of goal unless Wolves have another striker lined up to replace him.

Hopefully, Silva can prosper in Belgium and return to Wolves a different, more confident player, but until a replacement is brought in, this seems like a baffling decision by Lage and one that supporters surely won't be happy with.

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