Chelsea: Positives and negatives of signing Thiago Silva

The jury is still out on the Thiago Silva signing, although many Chelsea fans seem on board with the move now, but there are some positives and negatives.

Chelsea has officially signed Thiago Silva as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian has been signed as a short-term fix to Chelsea’s defensive problems.

Last season, Chelsea had the joint ninth worst defence in the league, conceding 54 goals in the Premier League. The signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester shows the Blues’ intent to strengthen their defence before the start of the new season, and Silva was signed with the same objective. All of that in mind, what are the benefits and drawbacks of this deal?

Price (+)

There is no doubt that Silva is an upgrade over all of Chelsea’s current central defenders. This deal allows the club to save money for Declan Rice, who has been reported as Frank Lampard’s top target at centreback. However, with West Ham’s ridiculous valuation of £80 million, it is highly unlikely that the deal will materialize this season. Silva on a free transfer allows the Blues to save up for Rice next season while finding a temporary fix to their defensive issues.

Silva has also agreed to a significant wage reduction compared to what he was earning at his former club and is set to earn just over £100,000 per week. With Willian and Pedro leaving this season, freeing up space on the wage bill, Silva’s wage demands can be fulfilled with ease. The fact that Chelsea was able to strengthen its defence without impacting the transfer or wage budget is a testament to the great things that are currently happening at the club.

Aerial dominance (+)

Chelsea has struggled all season with set pieces and crosses in general; Silva is good in the air and will improve the Blues’ presence in the box. His aerial prowess is displayed by him winning 77 percent of his aerial duels. In comparison, Antonio Rudiger wins just 59 percent of aerial duels, Kurt Zouma wins 74 percent and Andreas Christensen wins 58 percent. It is clear to see that Silva will help mitigate Chelsea’s aerial issues. Fikayo Tomori is likely to be loaned out this season and therefore, has not been included in any comparison.

Superior passing (+)

Silva’s biggest strength is his superior passing ability. Last season, Chelsea’s defenders often struggled to play through the lines or switch the play with long balls. Silva has a 95 percent passing accuracy and an impressive 76 percent long passing accuracy. In comparison, Rudiger has a long ball passing accuracy of 52 percent,  Zouma completes 56 percent and Christensen 48 percent. In the games where teams sit back against Chelsea, Silva’s passing ability could help break down opponents.

Physicality (+)

The Premier League is often regarded as the most physical football league across Europe—if not in the world. Highly rated players from other leagues frequently struggle to adjust to the physical nature of the English top flight. However, this will definitely not be the case for Silva.

The Brazilian is a warrior on the pitch and is not one who is afraid of a physical battle with an opposing striker. He enjoys getting stuck in and will welcome the physicality of the Premier League as he is as no-nonsense as they come.

Proven Leader (+)

Ever since John Terry left Chelsea in 2017, there has been a serious lack of leadership in the dressing room and on the pitch. As good a captain as Cesar Azpilicueta is, he is not the strongest leader on the pitch. He is a wonderful example to all the players, but leadership is much more than that. Silva has been the captain of PSG and the Brazilian national team in a number of important games. He brings a wealth of big game experience and will hopefully assist Chelsea in grinding out results when the Blues are required to do so.

Age (-)

It is no secret that Silva is not getting any younger. Despite being a world class defender at his age, Silva will turn 36 a week into the new season. His rate of decline has not been rapid thus far, but that could change at any moment. With age, his body may not be able to keep up with the demanding Premier League schedule, and his fitness will need to be monitored closely by Lampard and his staff throughout the season to prevent frequent injuries.

Contract Length (+)

At age 35, Silva is still a world class defender and walks into every single Premier League team with relative ease. However, it is safe to assume that a decline is incoming, as briefly touched on in the paragraph above. With this in mind, Chelsea has handed Silva a one-year contract with the option of another one-year extension at the end of the current contract. This is ideal for both parties and it speaks volumes to the awareness of those who made the deal happen.

Lack Of Pace (-)

Without considering his age, Silva has never been the quickest player and severely lacks pace. Apart from Chelsea’s never-ending issues with defending set pieces, they have also been extremely vulnerable to counter attacks under Lampard. Chelsea plays with an unusually high defensive line, and teams often base their game plans around exploiting the space in behind Chelsea’s defence. Silva’s lack of speed will see him exposed against teams that can transition quickly, and he will certainly not be able to solve this defensive issue.

Given how much money Chelsea have already spent this season, with more potential moves on the cards, Silva presents a cost-effective alternative which makes him a wonderful signing. The Blues recognize that they cannot possibly secure all of their transfer targets in one window. Silva is a short-term fix to Chelsea’s defensive issues until the club can sign Rice or another elite centerback next season. Hopefully the move works out for both parties.

How do you view the signing of Silva? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!