Arsenal have opened talks with midfielder Wellington Silva over extending his contract with the club, according to reports.
Website ESPN FC claims that Gunners’ officials are in ‘advanced talks’ with Silva’s representatives, with the hope of securing him to a longer term deal.
The 22 year-old’s current contract is believed to expire in June 2016 and after finally being granted Spanish citizenship and thus a work permit to play in England, in April, it seems Arsenal are eager to ensure that he can be a part of manager Arsène Wenger’s long-term plans.
Whether Silva will remain with the first-team next season, or be loaned out to another club, possibly in England, is currently unclear, but the Rio de Janeiro native will surely be eager to prove his worth, after finally being allowed to stay, four years on from his move from Fluminense.
Arsenal initially signed him in January 2011 for a reported fee of €4 million. He was then loaned out for various spells at Spanish outfits Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina and Real Murcia, before pitching up with Almería at the start of the 2014-15 season.
With them, Silva has come to the fore and even though they were relegated from La Liga to La Liga Adelante, he still made an impression.
In all competitions, he featured 35 times and though he failed to score, he still contributed seven assists.
