Thiago Silva only committed to 12 months as a Chelsea player when he joined the club as a free agent in 2020. By the summer of 2024, however, he’ll have completed four years of loyal service at Stamford Bridge.
If the Brazilian was initially intended to be some sort of stopgap, he’s certainly proved to be much more than that. Impressively, he should reach 150 appearances for the Blues this season, which is a notable achievement in itself.
All in all, Silva has become a Champions League winner while in England – a prize that eluded him at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain – and has remained a model of consistency.
Simple
Oh Thiago Silva! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/hrFBq1foiO
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 11, 2023
While Chelsea have stalled as a collective of late, their Samba star remains a Rolls-Royce of a centre-half. He moves effortlessly through the gears and makes the art of defending look simple. If the same could be said of a few more around him, then the Blues will not be seeing odds lengthen again with online bookmakers when it comes to bids for major silverware and top-four finishes in 2023-24.
There will come a time, though, when Silva cannot be called upon. Said day may be fast approaching, with another rolling contract in the process of being run down.
Extensions have always been agreed to this point, but it could be a case of three and out in that department. Silva continues to play cards close to his chest when it comes to decisions on his future, saying: “This relationship has been going on for a long time. But I prefer to remain silent at this moment, as there has already been some controversy in the recent past.”
The classy operator would appear to be alluding to the speculation suggesting that a Fluminense homecoming is on the cards for him. He’s never shied away from the fact that he would like to finish the most distinguished of careers where it all began for him.
Silva will not want to return to his roots as a fading force, with chicks in his amour being exposed that leave him looking like a shadow of his former self. The clock is certainly ticking there and 2024 may be the year in which the most familiar of surroundings are sought once more.
Few at Stamford Bridge would hold such a decision against Silva if he were to decide that a Premier League adventure is over. That decision may be taken out of his hands, with there no talk of fresh terms to be found as yet.
Leader
Thiago Silva becomes the fifth Brazilian player to reach 100 appearances in the Champions League 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/9RXoqCgDoF
— GOAL (@goal) October 11, 2022
In many ways, things were never supposed to get this far. Silva arrived with plenty of miles on the clock and big money was always going to be invested in finding a suitable heir to his No.6 crown. He’s remained a leader among men for longer than many probably dared to imagine, but eventually, every king must surrender his crown.
If this is to be a long goodbye for Silva, a sporting abdication if you will, then he will leave West London with nothing but best wishes and many happy.
