Borussia Dortmund’s pursuit of Fabio Silva has reportedly left senior figures at the club feeling angered after a surprising twist emerged during the striker’s move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The German side had tracked Silva throughout the summer, competing with several European clubs for the Portugal international, whose deal at Wolves was due to expire in 2025. In the final days of the transfer window, Dortmund secured his signature for a fee believed to be just under £23 million.

However, complications arose behind the scenes. Silva, who has not featured since April due to an adductor problem sustained while on loan at Las Palmas, had been sidelined throughout Wolves’ pre-season. Dortmund were aware of his lack of minutes but were apparently not informed of the full extent of his condition.

According to BILD, club officials only discovered that the 23-year-old had undergone surgery on the injury once he arrived for his medical examination. The late revelation reportedly left managing director Lars Ricken furious, with Dortmund feeling misled during negotiations.

By that stage — on August 28 or 29 — the club felt they had no realistic chance to secure an alternative striker and proceeded with the deal regardless. Silva is now expected to be out for several more weeks, needing time to build up fitness before being available to head coach Niko Kovac.

This isn’t the first time Silva has been at the centre of off-field controversy. Upon leaving Wolves, he posted a heartfelt farewell message on Instagram, only for Getafe’s Christantus Uche to share an almost word-for-word copy days later. That incident sparked claims that Silva had used AI to draft his post — speculation he denied, insisting it was Uche who had borrowed his words.

Although that episode soon faded, Dortmund’s frustration over his injury status has put the young forward back in the spotlight, adding more scrutiny before he even kicks a ball in black and yellow.