Arsenal youngster Wellington Silva will return to his boyhood club Fluminense, after agreeing a deal to return to the Rio club this summer. Wellington is already back in his home city of Rio de Janeiro having agreed to return to the club after six years away.
The 23 year old joined Arsenal in 2010, but had to undertake a series of loan spells at Spanish clubs, including Levante, Alcayano, Ponferredina, Murcia and Almeria, after the Home Office reversed its decision to grant him a special talent visa upon signing for the Gunners.
Wellington never appeared for Arsenal’s first team, however, he gained a Spanish passport in October 2014, making him eligible to play for the London club. He spent last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers but failed to impress as the Lancashire club were emphatically relegated from the Championship.
He was criticised for his approach by Trotters’ boss Neil Lennon last season, who lamented back in March that, “He has not been playing well enough to warrant a place in the team. His recent performances haven’t been anywhere near good enough. He is a decent player at home but away from home he is a bit lightweight.”
Wellington’s Arsenal contract runs until 2018, but it looks as though a transfer to his original club Fluminense is complete. The winger posted a picture of a Laranjeiras training kit on snapchat with the caption, “Every good son returns home.” It is expected that the deal will be announced formally in the coming days.