Frank Lampard has made it clear that he is desperate for a new centre back with the Blues manager not overly fond of his defensive options going into next season.
According to The Athletic's Liam Twomey:
"Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Thiago Silva on a free transfer."
Silva has established himself as one of the world's best centre backs in recent times, and it looks as if the Brazilian will be plying his trade elsewhere next season.
With all this talk of the Blues looking to bring the centre-back to Stamford Bridge, who is Thiago Silva?
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Where it all began:
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Silva made his debut in the 2002/03 season with RS Futebol Clube. After brief stints with Esporte Clube Juventude and Porto's B team, Silva got the breakthrough at Fluminense in 2006.
Thiago was brought by his former youth team coach, Ivo Wortmann. Despite a poor campaign, Silva impressed the masses across his native Brazil.
Throughout his time in Brazil, Silva was given the nickname 'O Monstro' which means 'The Monster.' In the next few years, clubs across Europe were keeping an eye on the defender as he continued to catch the eye of many.
With that being said, Silva finally got the breakthrough in Europe by signing for one of the greatest clubs in the world.
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Onto pastures new:
In 2009, Silva was signed by AC Milan for just €10 million. At the age of 24, Thiago was on the verge of peaking in his career. Coached, briefly, by Carlo Ancelotti and mentored by Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, Silva made his competitive debut against Siena.
After winning the Serie A in 2011 and the Supercoppa Italiana in the same year, Silva's stock was about as high as you can get for a centre-back.
The Brazilian then signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, and the rest is history. Silva has won over 20 trophies whilst playing for the French giants.
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A tactical insight into Thiago Silva:
With a tonne of experience at the highest level in football, it's fair to say that Silva is a true commander at the back.
PSG tend to play a high line in a game, and it's Silva's job to command the defensive line.
Thiago is also capable of passing out from the back. This is a habit of PSG's game, and Silva is right at the heart of their transitional play from the back to the midfield.
He averages at just over 11 recoveries per game. This implies that he is confident in his defensive ability, being able to read the game strongly.
Silva is versatile when it comes to tackling. He knows when to do it, but also knows when not to do it. In a 1V1 situation, the Brazilian is very consistent and reliable when it comes to reading the game and dispossessing his opponent.
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Has Silva still got it?
At the age of 35, you can argue that Silva is coming towards the end of his career. However, should he sign for Chelsea, it'll be a great coup. The player has so much experience, shows leadership quality and he'd be a great short term solution.
Thiago is capable of sharpening up Chelsea's defence for next season whilst the board is looking elsewhere, preparing for the future.
