Chelsea have completed the signing of Brazilian defender Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, with the Premier League side confirming his arrival on a one-year deal with the option of an extension for an extra 12 months.
The 35-year-old had seen his contract with PSG expire in June but agreed a short-term extension to see out the Champions League campaign and after the final defeat against Bayern Munich, he officially became a free agent.
Silva had long been identified as a target for Frank Lampard and reports emerged that the Chelsea manager was considering making him the new club captain at the expense of Cesar Azpilicueta to give guidance and on-field leadership to Chelsea’s hugely inexperienced players.
After completing his mandatory medicals, the former AC Milan man spoke on his transfer to Stamford Bridge, saying: ”I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be part of Frank Lampard’s exciting squad for next season and I am here to challenge for honors.”
”See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon.”
Happy to announce my arrival at this iconic club ! @chelseafc , I’m coming!
đŸ’™đŸ”µ #OhhThiagoSilva #CFC #Chelsea #ThiagoSilva #ChelseaFC #London #LondonCalling #Londres #UnitedKingdom #England— Thiago Silva (@tsilva3) August 28, 2020
Speaking on the deal, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said:
”We are delighted to be able to add a player of Thiago Silva’s proven world-class credentials to our squad. Having performed at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt that his experience and quality would complement the many exciting talents we already have here.”
Serial winner Thiago Silva to help boost struggling defense and install winning mentality at Stamford Bridge
For all the plaudits they earned with their attacking brilliance last season, Chelsea had a soft underbelly in the form of their porous defense and this was an issue that cost them on several occasions throughout the campaign.
The Blues had the third best attack in the league with 69 goals scored but they also posted the worst defensive record of teams in the top 10, shipping in 54 goals – four more than 14th-placed Crystal Palace conceded – and moving forward, this is an issue that must be addressed.
It is here that the signing of Thiago Silva would prove useful, as over the years, the Brazilian international has augmented and cemented his reputation as one of the best defenders of his generation, with his excellent positioning and reading of the game boosting elevating his world-class standards.
He is also a born leader and has served as captain of his teams for most of the last decade from AC Milan to PSG and the Brazilian national team, and it is for this reason that Lampard wants to make him the new club captain.
The Chelsea manager is also hoping to return the winning culture back to Stamford Bridge, with the West London side having undergone a fallow period in recent years in terms of trophies.
Once upon a time, the Chelsea dressing room was replete with serial winners in all positions; players who had won it all at almost every level but those days are long gone and the current team is full of vibrant and talented young players who are unfortunately lacking in the confidence and verve that comes with being seasoned title winners.
Thiago Silva would also help in this regard, as he would bring with him a wealth of experience of what it takes to perform and deliver on the biggest stages.
The Brazilian boasts an enviable CV, with no less than 26 major honors won across three different leagues, while he has also tasted glory on the international stage with Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2019 Copa America.
This is far more than anyone else in the current Chelsea team can boast of and having been there and done that, Silva would help with passing useful information to the younger players who came up short when it mattered most last season.
Having completed his transfer, Thiago Silva would undergo the mandatory two-week isolation period before resuming duties with his new team and this might rule him out of Chelsea’s opening premier league fixture which takes place on September 14 against Brighton and Hove Albinon.
