Thiago Silva is now 38, but he remains one of the first names on the Chelsea team sheet. The age-defying Brazilian has been a leader in defence for Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and now Graham Potter.
Tonight, he is set to make his 100th Champions League appearance, as Chelsea bid to take a big step towards qualification for the knockout stage when they play AC Milan. Silva was outstanding against his former club in last week’s 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, and he will continue to play a key role for Chelsea this season.
Summer signing Wesley Fofana has been ruled out for a “few weeks” after injuring his knee against Milan, and Kalidou Koulibaly is still adjusting to life at Chelsea. It means the role of Silva could be crucial to Potter, who wants to tie down the veteran centre-back to a new contract that will take him close to his 40th birthday.
His current deal expires at the end of the season, and Potter said ahead of tonight’s game at the San Siro: “He has been incredibly impressive on and off the pitch. As a leader, he is a top professional and a top person, so he has been a joy to work with.
“I think the decision on how long he continues playing is Thiago’s. I have been here three or four weeks. I see his qualities. The level he can play at, the performance levels he can reach, the amount of respect he has throughout the game is just incredible. So, all I can do is try and help him enjoy his football here, be part of a winning team, and then the rest of the stuff is something for him and the club to think about.”
Silva’s decision over whether he decides to stay at Chelsea beyond this season will be made either side of the World Cup. He could wear the captain’s armband for Brazil in Qatar and is looking to keep his form going into the tournament.
Silva has been building up to the World Cup ever since he joined Chelsea in 2020 but, in that time, he has become accustomed to life in London. His children speak perfect English and train at Chelsea. His wife, Belle, enjoys life in the capital, has become a minor celebrity among Chelsea fans and can easily visit her former home in Paris. His family arrangements could keep Silva at Stamford Bridge long-term.
Chelsea will surely offer Thiago Silva at least another year... they need his guidance
“There will come a time when we need to talk, that could be before the World Cup or after,” he said, ahead of returning to face his former club. “I have to consider my family arrangements. I will have to decide what to do, as this is an important decision. We will see what will happen.”
Chelsea cruised past Milan at Stamford Bridge last week to ignite their Champions League campaign, but Silva expects a tougher test in Italy tonight. Milan, who won their first Serie A title for 11 years last season, bounced back from that defeat with a 2-0 win over Juventus at the weekend and are just three points off leaders Napoli.
Silva said: “They had a bad game last week against us, that can happen, but great clubs like AC Milan won’t make a mistake like that twice. You can see the great result they had against Juventus in their last game.
“So, I am sure they are strongly motivated to have another great match. I can tell myself and my team that we need to really work hard, because it’s never going to be easy to play here at San Siro and against AC Milan.”
Potter rested Silva for Saturday’s 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League as he manages his workload, but there is no sign of his level dropping, despite his age. Chelsea will surely offer him at least another year, with £150m spent last summer on new defenders who all need his guidance as they continue to adapt to the club.
