Wendel Silva

Wendel Silva
Wendel playing for Santos in 2024
Personal information
Full name Wendel da Silva Costa
Date of birth (2000-08-02) 2 August 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Santos
(on loan from Porto)
Number 19
Youth career
2015–2018 Flamengo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Flamengo 5 (0)
2020–2022 Leixões 34 (6)
2021Covilhã (loan) 9 (1)
2022–2024 Porto B 59 (26)
2022– Porto 0 (0)
2024–Santos (loan) 16 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:48, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Wendel da Silva Costa (born 2 August 2000), sometimes known as just Wendel, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Santos, on loan from Portuguese club Porto.

Career

Flamengo

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Wendel joined Flamengo's youth sides in 2015, aged 15. He made his first team debut on 17 January 2018, starting in a 2–0 Campeonato Carioca away win over Volta Redonda, as the club used only under-20 players.[1]

After another appearance in the Carioca, Wendel subsequently returned to the under-20s, netting the winner in the 2018 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior final over São Paulo which ensured Fla's fourth title in the competition.[2] He would continue to feature in the under-20 squad in the following years, featuring in a further three appearances with the main squad in the 2020 Carioca.[3]

Leixões

On 25 August 2020, Liga Portugal 2 club Leixões announced the signing of Wendel.[4] He made his debut abroad on 19 September, coming on as a late substitute for compatriot Lucas Lopes in a 0–0 away draw against Arouca.

Loan to Covilhã

In February 2021, after being rarely used, Wendel was loaned to fellow second division club Sporting da Covilhã until the end of the season.[5] He scored his first professional goal while at the club, netting the equalizer in a 2–2 away draw against Mafra on 24 April.[6]

2021–22 season

Upon returning, Wendel became a regular starter for Leixões, and scored his first goal for the club on 22 August 2021, in a 2–1 home win over Académica de Coimbra.[7] He finished the campaign with six goals, as the club finished in the eighth position.

Porto

On 11 July 2022, Wendel transferred to FC Porto's B-team, also in the second level.[8] He made his first team debut on 25 November, coming off the bench to replace Wendell Borges for the final two minutes of a 2–2 home draw against Mafra in the Taça da Liga.[9]

Despite only featuring in one further appearance for the main squad (a 3–1 Taça de Portugal home win over Vitória de Guimarães on 17 April 2024), Wendel was a first-choice for the B's, scoring eight goals in 2022–23 and a career-best 18 goals in 2023–24.

Loan to Santos

On 19 August 2024, Wendel was announced at Santos back in his home country on loan until July 2025,[10] for a rumoured fee of 500,000, plus an obligatory €3 million buyout clause if the player scores 15 goals during the loan period.[11] He made his debut for the club five days later, starting in a 0–0 Série B home draw against Amazonas,[12] and scored his first goal on 7 September, in a 1–0 away win over Brusque.[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 26 November 2024[14]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League State league[a] National cup[b] League cup[c] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Flamengo 2018 Série A 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2019 Série A 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020 Série A 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Leixões 2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 6 0 1 0 7 0
2021–22 Liga Portugal 2 28 6 2 0 1 0 31 6
Total 34 6 3 0 1 0 38 6
Covilhã (loan) 2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 9 1 9 1
Porto B 2022–23 Liga Portugal 2 29 8 29 8
2023–24 Liga Portugal 2 30 18 30 18
Total 59 26 59 26
Porto 2022–23 Primeira Liga 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2023–24 Primeira Liga 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Santos (loan) 2024 Série B 16 4 16 4
Career total 118 37 5 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 128 37

Honours

Flamengo

Porto

Santos

Individual

  • Liga Portugal 2 Player of the Month: October/November 2023[15]
  • Liga Portugal 2 Forward of the Month: October/November 2023[16]
  • Liga Portugal 2 Goal of the Month: February 2023[17]

References

  1. ^ "Fla usa time sub-20 e vence Volta Redonda na estreia do Carioca com golaços" [Fla utilize under-20 team and defeat Volta Redonda on Carioca debut with great goals] (in Brazilian Portuguese). UOL Esporte. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Caçula decide e marca Flamengo campeão, solidário e guerreiro na Copinha" [Newbie decides and landmarks Flamengo as champions, supportive and combative in the Copinha] (in Brazilian Portuguese). UOL Esporte. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Herói do Flamengo na Copinha de 2018, Wendel acerta com Leixões, de Portugal" [Hero of Flamengo in the 2018 Copinha, Wendel signs with Leixões, from Portugal] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Wendel confirmado como reforço do Leixões" [Wendel confirmed as an addition of Leixões] (in Portuguese). Record. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Leixões emprestou Wendel Silva ao Sporting da Covilhã até ao final da época" [Leixões loaned Wendel Silva to Sporting da Covilhã until the end of the season]. SAPO (in Portuguese). 2 February 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Mafra-Sp. Covilhã, 2–2: equipas mantêm jejum de vitórias" [Mafra-Sp. Covilhã, 2–2: teams keep the winless form] (in Portuguese). Record. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Leixões vence Académica com reviravolta no marcador" [Leixões defeat Académica with a comeback in the scoreline] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Wendel Silva reforça o FC Porto B" [Wendel Silva strengthens FC Porto B] (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  9. ^ Castro, Ricardo Jorge (25 November 2022). "Taça da Liga: FC Porto-Mafra, 2-2 (crónica)" [Taça da Liga: FC Porto-Mafra, 2-2 (report)]. Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Santos FC acerta empréstimo de Wendel Silva, do Porto, até julho de 2025" [Santos FC agree loan of Wendel Silva, from Porto, until July 2025] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Santos FC. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Santos anuncia a contratação do atacante Wendel Silva" [Santos announce the signing of forward Wendel Silva] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Entenda por que Wendel foi titular do Santos mesmo após poucos treinos" [Understand why Wendel was a starter of Santos even after few trainings] (in Brazilian Portuguese). UOL Esporte. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Santos vence Brusque com golaço de Wendel, encerra jejum e dorme na ponta da Série B" [Santos defeat Brusque with a great goal from Wendel, end drought and sleep in the first position of the Série B] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Gazeta Esportiva. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  14. ^ Wendel Silva at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Jogador do Mês da Liga Portugal SABSEG é Wendel Silva" [Liga Portugal SABSEG's Player of the Month is Wendel Silva]. Liga Portugal (in European Portuguese). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Wendel Silva is the Continente Forward of the Month in Liga Portugal SABSEG". Liga Portugal. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Wendel's powerful strike wins Goal of the Month". Liga Portugal. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.