Thiago Silva is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after spending four years with the club.
The 39-year-old joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2020 and has made 151 appearances for the club since, winning the Champions League, Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
Silva was substituted during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa on the weekend with a groin injury and it may have been the last time he features for the club. The Brazilian has been hampered by injuries this season and has missed a total of 19 games for the club.
When Silva departs, it will mean Chelsea will have just two players remaining from the team that won the Champions League in Porto against Manchester City back in May 2021. The club then endured a massive shake up when Todd Boehly arrived and Silva- along with Reece James and Ben Chilwell- were the only players to survive the overhaul.
Silva has been a pivotal part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad since the Argentine joined the club- starting the Brazilian in 22 of his first 24 Premier League games in charge of the club. However, he has been used much more sporadically lately and injuries have even further limited his playing time.
In an emotional interview with the club, Silva said he hopes to return to the club in some capacity in the future.
He said: “”Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too.
“My sons play for Chelsea so it’s a source of great pride to be a part of the Chelsea family – literally because my sons are here. I hope they can continue their careers here at this victorious club that many players wish to be part of.
“I think in everything I did here over the four years, I always gave my all. But, unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle and an end. That doesn’t mean that this is a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that in the near future I can return, albeit in another role here. But…it’s an indescribable love. I can only say thank you.”
Silva added: “Obviously, when I started here, it was during the pandemic so there weren’t any fans in the stadium.
Embed from Getty Images“But through social media, it became something very special to me and then when the fans started coming back to the stadium and life was getting back to normal, I started to feel a lot of affection and respect for my story and for my start here.
“It is already hard saying goodbye in the most normal of circumstances but when there is a mutual love, it’s even harder. But once a Blue, always a Blue.
“Goodbyes are for those that leave and don’t come back. I intend on coming back one day.”
