Arsenal Transfer News: 'New Neymar' Wellington Silva Granted Work Permit

Arsenal fans may finally see a glimpse of Wellington Silva in the first team after the 21-year-old was granted a work permit to play in England.

Silva, who signed for the Gunners in 2009, has received Spanish citizenship after spending five consecutive seasons on loan in the country with Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina, Real Murcia and Almeria.

Known as the "New Neymar," Silva is a skilful player who loves to inject flair into his output on the pitch, according to Ashley Clements of the Daily Mail. 

AS reported his comments on the situation, per Francisco Acedo of Sky Sports: "It is very important for me. I could go back to Arsenal next season if (Arsene) Wenger wants me to. But I am not going to worry about my future and my only desire right now is to help Almeria preserve their La Liga status. At this moment, I am focused on the present."

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Silva has made six appearances in La Liga this season but is yet to score or assist a goal in an Almeria side that has two wins from nine games. The attacking midfielder, who often plays on the right wing, has completed just 70.1 percent of his passes all campaign but does complete an average of 2.7 dribbles each match, per WhoScored.com.

Of all the players who have made five or more appearances in the Arsenal squad, only Wojciech Szczesny has a worse pass accuracy (68.4 percent). With that said, only Danny Welbeck has completed more dribbles, averaging 3.3 during each encounter, per WhoScored.

Silva is also dispossessed 1.2 times per match—the same amount as Mesut Ozil—and manages 0.8 shots at goal every appearance, identical to Calum Chambers' number.

He is a player with undeniable talent who certainly needs to further his development before breaking into the Gunners' first team. Some of his early career highlights can be seen below:

Considering Arsene Wenger has struggled to provide Joel Campbell with a starting place—the 22-year-old has proven himself a quality player in the Champions League and at the World Cup—it's unlikely Silva will make much of a senior impact when he returns from Spain at the end of the season. 

Campbell possesses greater versatility and is a potential match-winner, whereas Silva's team play can still be considered on the immature side. Silva is lightning quick but suffers with similar sloppy tendencies as a young Theo Walcott. He has the natural confidence and swagger to go far, however, and could certainly use Wenger's tutelage to improve his game.

Former Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka struggled with similar inconsistencies to Silva before spending time with the Gunners boss. He believes playing under Wenger was significant for his career, per ESPN FC:

While Silva's work permit finally allows him to represent the Emirates side, it will be quite a while before he receives the chance to impress.

It is highly unlikely Silva will slot into the first team next season—Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell and Serge Gnabry all offer similar traits—so he could be limited to Capital One Cup appearances once his time with Almeria is completed.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Wenger would be smart to give the starlet a chance. He is talented enough to make an impression and is likely to improve with better players around him. Five years of being unable to represent the north London side will have also frustrated, so Silva will likely work extremely hard to ensure his first impressions are positive.

Whether he has the lasting power to enjoy a full career at the club, though, remains a major question mark.