Chelsea are closing in on a move for Brazilian defender Thiago Silva, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain has come to an end. Silva’s last match with the Parisian club was the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, where he captained the team to a heartbreaking loss.
As per Sky Sports, the Blues could sign the veteran defender soon on a free transfer. The 35-year-old centre-back who won 7 Ligue 1 titles with PSG, played 315 times for the French side. He joined the club from AC Milan for a whopping €42 million in 2012 but has repaid every penny that the French club paid for him, becoming one of the greats of the European heavyweights.
The Brazilian international has played 89 times for his national side and has set his sights on playing in the next World Cup as well.
Thiago Silva: Right man for the job?
Chelsea have strengthened their attack ahead of the 2019-20 season, signing the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner – two promising and exciting attack-minded players. The Blues are also closing in on a mega deal to sign German attacking midfielder Kai Havertz which is expected to revolutionise Lampard’s attack.
The London club have a strong midfield and attack, but their defence is still a worry. Blues fans will be pleased that Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell could also arrive at the club in the next few weeks. One position that manager Frank Lampard should ensure that he gets at least two players is at centre-back though. The likes of Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, and Andreas Christensen have not been consistent enough and looking at the intent Chelsea have shown. they are surely targeting the Premier League title now. For which, the backline needs an upgrade.
The Blues being linked with a move for Thiago Silva is quite interesting. Silva, despite being 35 years of age, is still very fit and is good defensively. The Brazilian is a leader at the back, who can organise the backline and ensure that the defence doesn’t slip up. The veteran defender is a fantastic passer, playing the ball long and short. He is aggressive in the tackle and reads the game very well from the back.
The Brazilian, though, will only be a short-term solution to Chelsea’s centre-back issues. Silva turns 36 next month and he could potentially have one more season left in him, in a competition like the Premier League. He could perhaps be a decent option to sort out the leadership issues at the back and a very short-term option as far as bolstering the depth is concerned.
But Lampard will be aware he needs another defender much younger than Thiago Silva, to actually address the massive drawback of the squad.
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