André Miguel Valente Silva

André Silva is a 30-year-old Portuguese centre forward currently playing for Elche in La Liga, bringing considerable top-flight experience to a side working hard to establish themselves in the Spanish top division. The former Porto and RB Leipzig striker has spent much of his career at the sharper end of European football, and his arrival at Elche represented a notable coup for the club as they look to build a credible attacking threat at this level.

Across 23 appearances in the 2025/26 season, Silva has contributed seven goals from 1,311 minutes of action, giving him a return of roughly one goal every three starts, which is a reasonable output for a striker whose side has faced some of the division's heaviest hitters. His average match rating of 6.82 reflects a player doing solid rather than spectacular work, and his recent form tells a similar story. He scored as a substitute in just 13 minutes against Villarreal in early March and netted in a 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad in February, showing he remains capable of taking chances when they arrive. The goalless draw with Osasuna and a difficult afternoon in a 4-1 loss at Real Madrid suggest Elche as a team are finding life tough against stronger opposition, and Silva's individual rating dipped to 6.19 in that Madrid fixture.

Silva's role at Elche appears to be that of a focal point in attack, with the coaching staff willing to use him from the start in most fixtures, though they have also shown they can bring him off the bench for impact, as the Villarreal cameo demonstrated. The transfer data available does not point to any confirmed moves in recent windows, so he looks settled at the club for now. His Portuguese international career, which peaked during a prolific spell in the Bundesliga, has not featured prominently in recent squad discussions, though his experience at that level remains part of his profile.

In Elche's next match, the key question is whether Silva can find the consistency to score in back-to-back games for the first time this season. SportSignals' AI analysis engine has tracked Elche's matches closely, and observers will want to see whether he can hold the line effectively against a defence that presses high, given that his best moments this term have come when given space in behind.