Chelsea: A vote in favor of the Blues signing Thiago Silva

Tiago Silva would be a gold-plated addition to the back line of Chelsea for the 2020/21 season and beyond, his age notwithstanding.

Thiago Silva is becoming a serious candidate for Chelsea this transfer window as the Blues look to bring the PSG captain in on a free transfer. He’ll step right in as arguably the Blues’ top central defender and will represent an upgrade to the porous back line. Silva has been—and still is—an all-around world class central defender. His addition will add grit, talent and championship pedigree to Chelsea’s central defense.

Previously, Jan Vertonghen’s name was thrown around as a suggestion for part of the club’s strategy in central defense this offseason. He has since signed with Benfica and even then, there weren’t any concrete rumors. He would also have been a cost-effective addition as he was out of a contract at Tottenham. Instead, it looks as if the Blues are going in another direction in terms of the player but taking the same approach of bringing an experienced defender in for free.

Luckily for Chelsea, Silva is a far better player and he will enhance the back line significantly. With Lewis Dunk out of the picture—as if he was ever really in it—Silva provides a good short term addition as Chelsea continues to build at the back for the future. He will not only be a productive player, but a good instructor for the younger Chelsea centerbacks as well.

The only issue to be dealt with is the salary and length of the contract. This could be a touchy topic as Chelsea evidently refused to offer Willian, a solid performer for years for the Blues, a contract of more than two years. Should Silva demand three, it would be poor optics for the club to sanction it. Yet, the good news is Fiorentina—one of the other major clubs in for Silva—has only offered a two-year deal to the PSG captain.

This fits in nicely with Chelsea’s self-imposed policy not to provide multi-year extensions (at least for not more than two years) to players over 30 years old. But that notwithstanding, Silva is a great signing for two years. Factor in the fact that it’s a free transfer and it’s a virtual no-brainer. As a 35-year-old player, manager Frank Lampard could judiciously regulate Silva’s time on the pitch to maximize his effectiveness. Even if he doesn’t start every game as he hasn’t at PSG, he could be used as a late substitute in close matches adding his vast experience to the team in crucial situations.

Chelsea has yet to make a move in this transfer window to stiffen its central defense; absent the very promising youngster, Xavier Mbuyamba. This is worrying given the position is one of the club’s weakest. The problem is that the Blues doesn’t have any great—or even really good—centerbacks. That is an issue that must be addressed before next season kicks off in September. Should he play for the Blues, Silva would likely be their best central defender.

Along with the now likely signing of Ben Chilwell, who has enjoyed mixed reviews from the Chelsea faithful, these upgrades should be significant. Chilwell, Silva and potentially even Declan Rice bring a significant amount of talent to the back line than was available to Lampard in the year prior. Add top players like Kai Havertz, along with already signed Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, and Chelsea will be far better outfitted to make a run at Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs this season. The verdict here is an easy one, Chelsea should sign Silva as soon as possible.

What do you think Chelsea should do to fix its problems at the back? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!