Chelsea could be set to lose one of their most integral squad members next year, with a fresh report revealing that one club in particular are ready to table him a tempting proposal.
Which players will leave Chelsea?
Over the summer, Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino sanctioned the permanent sales of 14 players, including the likes of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic, whilst sending nine more out of favour stars, some names being Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech, out on loan for the remainder of the season to increase their game time.
The Daily Mirror’s Ryan Taylor has also recently reported that Trevoh Chalobah is seeking a new adventure next year, with chiefs open to letting him go on the basis that Bayern Munich are interested in completing a deal, but he’s not the only one who could be heading for an exit from the Premier League.
At Stamford Bridge, Thiago Silva will be out of contract at the end of the season (Chelsea contracts), and with him now being 39 years of age, the centre-back isn’t getting any younger and could soon be hanging up his boots, but not before he’s been given a final fresh challenge.
Thiago Silva transfer update
According to Football Insider, who have shared a transfer update on Thiago Silva, Chelsea are willing to green-light his departure to help balance the books, whilst aiming to start a fresh long-term project.
"Brazilian giants Fluminense are ready to offer Chelsea defender Thiago Silva the chance to return to his homeland, sources have told Football Insider.
"Silva has never hidden his desire to return to Brazil and is now in the twilight years of his career. The defender currently earns a reported wage of £110,000 a week, and Blues chiefs have identified next summer as a good time to get that outlay off the wage bill.
"Chelsea are keen to further ramp up their recruitment of young players in order to develop their talent. Furthermore, the Londoners are happy to let Silva depart despite his status as a firm fan favourite. Club chiefs believe the likes of Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana will provide adequate cover in future seasons."
During his 674 appearances since the start of his career, Silva has most definitely been a “class act”, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, and despite his age, he’s remained a key player for Chelsea this season considering the impact he’s had under Pochettino.
The Rio De Janeiro native, who earns £110k-per-week (Chelsea salaries), is currently averaging 4.4 clearances and 2.3 aerial wins per top-flight game, alongside recording a 95.7% pass success rate, showing what a rock he can be at the heart of the backline (WhoScored – Silva statistics).
Passing
Player has no significant weaknesses
Concentration
Blocking the ball
In addition, Silva possesses the winning mentality required in the capital having secured a remarkable 33 trophies for both club and country since first bursting onto the professional scene (Transfermarkt – Silva statistics), so the hierarchy should perhaps consider another short-term extension to keep him around for another 12 months.