Silva: I thought I would be sold

Silva, like team-mate and fellow countryman David Villa, have long been linked with a move away from the cash-strapped Los Che, with Real Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all strongly tipped to land the 23-year-old midfielder, who has made 89 league outings for Valencia.

Both Silva and Villa now appear to be staying at the Mestalla for the 2009/10 campaign after the pair broke their media silences to pledge their allegiance to the Valencia cause, while the club's short-term future now appears secure after landing a €74 million loan.

And Silva has since revealed that he never wished to leave the club, but admitted he believed that he would have to be sold to help balance the side's books.

"Talking is free and everyone does it. In football it happens and we cannot change it unfortunately, I just think about playing," he said.

"I never said anything [about leaving], but after everything was said about the economic problems I thought I might, but the club decided otherwise.

"We are still here and I will do my best to try to finish as high as possible."

NEWS: Valencia land $106 million loan

Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.