I like him. He is a top professional, has an excellent work ethic and represents the attributes a footballer should have. He is hard not to like.
But playing him, guts the club of any chance of winning battles in midfield. This pseudo 442 formation we are playing means we have nothing in midfield. Sure, 442 is fine if you have two large lumps of coal and enjoy boring football alas Burnley. The guy is a second striker. He is not a player who can get the ball from deep midfield and create, and if we're going to play a more possession style, fast build up style type of game - he needs to moved on. Take nothing away from what makes him a fantastic footballer, but he just doesn't suit the style of play Silva wants to implement and the fans expect. We're playing a midfield two without a target man, its football suicide.
Aside from a striker, RB another CM we are desperate, and have been for 1.5 years for someone to be able to carry the ball. Who can drop deeper, and still represent as a number 10 in and around the box. That is how 433 formations work. Trying to play a 433 formation when you're playing 442 masquerading it as 4231 just doesn't work.