Wolves loanee has asked Rangers a transfer question after 'embarrassing' criticism and the answer looks clear

Instead, Wolves loanee Fabio Silva did very little to strengthen his cause. The Portuguese forward - making his first start in Scottish football’s showpiece fixture - was accused of “cheating” by Sky Sports co-commentator Chris Sutton during his astonishing in-game rant.

On multiple occasions, Silva went to ground far too easily clutching several body parts and rolling around on the turf before swiftly getting back to his feet and those theatrics certainly didn’t go unnoticed. “He’s done it too many times. This must be the fourth of fifth time that he’s thrown himself down on the ground,” pundit Kenny Miller stated.

With a hefty price tag already on his shoulders after joining Wolves from FC Porto for a reported transfer fee of £35million in September 2020, the general consensus among Rangers fans seems to be that the 21-year-old has a lot still to learn despite being a popular figure off the pitch. And on this evidence, it’s clear to see why.

Silva was slaughtered for going down inside the box under a challenge from Celtic defender Alistair Johnston early in second half following a couple of similar first-half instances. On first viewing, there appeared to be very minimal contact, with referee John Beaton initially brandishing a yellow card for simulation.

Sutton was adamant that Silva was already on his way down before contact was initiated with his right knee and proceeded to label him a “cheat” for diving. However, VAR operator Nick Walsh convinced Beaton he should review the incident closer on the pitchside monitor and the whistler opted to change his mind by awarding a penalty kick instead, which James Tavernier stylishly tucked away.

While that controversial moment changed the entire dynamic of the match with Rangers trailing 2-0 at the time, Silva’s performance for 69 minutes left much to be desired. He lacked the necessary pace to trouble Johnston in behind and missed one golden opportunity towards the end of the first-half when Joe Hart produced an excellent double-save.

Silva yet to win Rangers fans over

The Portuguese youth international trudged off off the pitch midway through the second half to limited applause and it’s clear he needs to start showing much more in a royal blue jersey to win Rangers fans over. And it was exaggerated play-acting that prompted frustrated fans and media to deliver a scathing review of his display. No wonder. His reaction to the block from Alistair Johnston was quite simply laughable. “It’s like he’s been electrocuted,” exclaimed Tom English on BBC Sportsound.

Since arriving on loan from the Premier League outfit during the January transfer window, Silva has netted four goals in 15 appearances. However, he won’t look back on this showing with much fondness. You could be forgiven for thinking the forward wasn’t even on the pitch during the first 45 minutes - such was his limited impact.

Five minutes before the interval, Johnston was cautioned after deliberately blocking Silva’s run, once again leaving him beating the floor in agony before quickly walking away from the incident - a major over-reaction. This wasn’t the attacker’s finest performance and you’d imagine that steely eyed Philippe Clement will be having a few words in his ear after his latest antics.

It’s apparent that the vast majority of Wolves supporters feel Silva hasn’t met the expectations that came with the Midlands club splashing £35m on him. A lack of consistency and a number of underwhelming performances in recent season means it is difficult to see him ever developing into a regular starter at Molineux.

Based on his previous loan spells at Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven, Silva has yet to justify his whopping reported £37k-per-week wages. He still has age firmly on his side, but whether he is worth Rangers investing heavily in this summer is another question.

It will likely take a large sum of money - potentially between £12m and £15m - to recruit him on a permanent basis. And on his current offering to the Govan outfit, it’s a deal they would be happy to swerve.