Thiago Silva recently ended his eight-year association with Paris Saint-Germain. With the Champions League final his last match for the club, he weighs up the next move of what has been an illustrious career.
The Brazilian international made 315 appearances in all competitions for the French side and distinguished himself with his leadership skills and abilities at the heart of the defense.
Having departed the French capital, Silva is available on a free transfer, and strong reports suggest that Frank Lampard is keen on signing the 35-year-old for Chelsea as a short-term solution to his side’s defensive woes.
The Blues struggled for consistency at the back last season and posted the worst defensive record of the top 10 teams in the Premier League, and despite the addition of extra firepower in attack, their porous defense remains an albatross that could severely hamper their chances of success next season.
It is in light of this that the 42-year-old has identified Thiago Silva as a potential defensive target and new reports by Brazilian publication Globo suggests that he is willing to make the former AC Milan man his new skipper, instantly placing him as the leader of the dressing room.
While this might not exactly be out of place given that Silva has flourished as an on-field leader at both club and international level, it is understood that the decision does not sit well with current members of the squad who have already identified with Cesar Azpilicueta as the club captain.
The Spaniard has been with Chelsea since 2012 and was named club captain in the summer of 2019 following the departure of Gary Cahill to Crystal Palace.
The current Chelsea squad is extremely youthful and were clearly lacking in on-field guidance last season and perhaps Lampard sees Silva’s experience and leadership qualities as ideal to help his players overcome their inexperience on the grand stage.
