Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino is awaiting a big decision from Thiago Silva with leaders crucial to the rebuild
Silva turns 39 in September and it remains to be seen whether the Brazilian defender will be around next season when Pochettino’s rebuild begins.
He signed a one-year contract in February, which runs until the end of next season but is linked with a return to Brazil and a move to Saudi Arabia. Pochettino wants to build a squad of young players when he takes the reins of the club.
Silva doesn’t fit the bill, but he has been Chelsea’s best player this season. He is also one of the team’s few leaders and his experience has been instrumental in the dressing room since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.
The presence of leaders is crucial for Pochettino, who needs to re-unite a young squad that has been torn apart this season. Captain Cesar Azpilicueta could also leave following the signing of Lyon right-back Malo Gusto, and the loss of his and Silva’s influence will leave a gaping hole in the squad.
Decision imminent: Mauricio Pochettino should opt to keep Thiago Silva at Chelsea
/ Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesSilva is also a fan favourite, and all this leaves Pochettino with a huge dilemma in rebuilding Chelsea’s defense next season. The Argentine mainly favors a 4-2-3-1 system, but he inherits a team designed to play with a three-man defence.
No European football means less rotation and Chelsea have six centre-backs in Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah, who will be joined by the return of Levi Colville from Brighton.
Colville looks set to shine next season and both Badiashil and Fofana are not for sale after signing long-term contracts due to big-money moves this offseason. Chelsea are hoping to sell Koulibaly to the Italian side less than a year after signing him, but foreign clubs are reluctant to pay his high wages and the player wants to stay to prove himself.
The presence of leaders is crucial for Pochettino, who needs to re-unite a young squad that has been torn apart this season.
That leaves Silva and Chalobah facing an uncertain future, starting against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday night. Silva has said he is not being pushed to leave and said last week: “If Chelsea decide they don’t want me next season or the new manager doesn’t want me to stay, I won’t stay here. .”
Ahead of the game against Manchester United, Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard described Silva as a “special” player with a huge influence within the club.
“Thiago is an inspiration to all players,” said Lampard standard sports. “They could and should learn a lot from him about how he carries himself off the field and how he approaches training every day, what he demands from his teammates.
“He leads by example. I think players who play alongside him will understand what the level is like and what it takes.
“If you don’t get to them, you see him or talk to him, but he doesn’t yell or scream. He’s definitely someone who demands people around him, and that’s good because you need players like that at this level.
“They’re not everywhere, these players can say, ‘This is what I’ve done in my career, so I can still do it.’ I really like that side of him. He was special.
Lampard will make himself available as a sounding board for Pochettino as the Argentinian embarks on a massive player hunt this summer. Silva may not be a long-term solution, but his experience and leadership mean he will play a key role in helping shape the next generation of Chelsea’s defence.
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