Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement with Thiago Silva over a new contract, the defender has revealed.
The Blues' focus over the last few weeks has primarily been on hoovering up some of Europe's best young talent in the transfer market, but negotiations with Silva, 38, have still been taking place in the background.
No club in the Premier League came close to matching Chelsea's activity in January: the Londoners shelled out in excess of £323million to acquire eight players; including World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, who was signed on deadline day for a British-record transfer fee of £105m.
Remarkably, the Blues are now closing in on another deal - this time, with Silva, who has quickly established himself as one of the club's most influential players since his switch from Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer of 2020.
The Brazilian defender has clocked up over a century of appearances since making the switch to Stamford Bridge but is due to become a free agent in the summer.
Chelsea are eager to reward one of their most consistent performers with a fresh deal to extend his spell in the capital - and Silva revealed that the two parties are edging closer to striking an agreement.
He told ESPN: "We are negotiating. Everything will probably happen in the next few days. My intention, and that of the club as well, is to stay together. I know that the club needs me right now.
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"I am here to be able to help, they are young players, anyway. I know that, with my experience, I can help in this process of rebuilding the club, I'm here for that, willing to do this, however, I know that my responsibility is very great."
Chelsea boss Graham Potter has only been at the helm since September, but the former Brighton chief quickly realised how integral the former AC Milan man is for the Blues.
Potter admitted shortly after his arrival that the final decision over an extended deal was likely to be Silva's. However, he outlined his desire to keep the "incredible" centre-back at the club.
Speaking back in October about Silva's future, Potter said: "I think the decision is Thiago's. I've been here three or four weeks. I see his qualities. He's an incredible person, incredible player. The level he can play at, the performance level he can reach, and the respect he has through the game is just incredible. All I can do is try and help him enjoy his football here, be part of a winning team and all of the rest is something for him and the club to think about."
