After eight trophy-laden seasons at the Parc des Princes, Thiago Silva has left PSG for Chelsea after his contract expired this summer. His last game for the Ligue 1 side was the Champions League Final in Lisbon and unfortunately, he couldn’t bow out in style. A medical was done earlier in the week and now finishing touches have been added to seal the deal. He becomes Chelsea’s third defensive acquisition in as many days and their sixth overall this summer.
Frank Lampard watched his side concede 54 Premier League goals last season so it’s no surprise that he is keen on tightening up at the back going into next season. Offensive additions in the form of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have been with Kai Havertz also expected to join later.
Speaking for the first time as a Chelsea player, Thiago Silva said: “I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Frank Lampard’s exciting squad for next season and I’m here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon.”
The Brazilian brings plenty of a much-needed experience and leadership quality at the back for the Blues going into the new season. He joins Chelsea on a one-year deal with the option for another and will take a massive pay cut from the £330k per week that he was earning in the French capital. Even at age 35, his quality is still evident for all to see. Silva was at the heart of a PSG defence that conceded the least number of goals in last season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
With the amount of business conducted in the market so far, the Chelsea faithful will go into next season with plenty of optimism and it’s not hard to see why. The Blues are moving at a rapid pace in the window and at this rate, they could finalize all their transfer dealings before they kick off their Premier League campaign against Brighton who they first meet in a friendly tomorrow.
