Thiago Silva joins Chelsea on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract

Chelsea have completed the signing of Thiago Silva, who joins on a one-year contract, and the club has the option of an additional 12 months.

The Brazilian spent eight years at Paris Saint-Germain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, with the former PSG captain playing his final game in last week’s Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich.

Silva’s signing follows the addition of Ben Chilwell to the squad on Wednesday and is the latest in a long line of Brazilian internationals gracing the Chelsea pitch. Malang Sarr also joined this week and will be on loan in 2020/21.

“I am very happy to join Chelsea,” Silva said. “I am delighted to be a part of Frank Lampard’s exciting team for next season and I am here to fight for the honors.

Chelsea manager Marina Granovskaia said: “We are delighted to be able to add a player with Thiago Silva’s proven world-class credentials to our team.

“Having played at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt that his experience and quality will complement the many exciting talents we already have here. Thiago will be a great fit and we hope he can add some new trophies to his impressive roster. of honors. “

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea revolution has focused on young and vibrant talent. On that basis, then, the arrival of a 35-year-old represents something of a surprise. However, when you look at the scarcity of alternatives, signing such an experienced and talented player on a free transfer, regardless of age, seems like big business for Chelsea.

Chelsea needed defensive reinforcements. There are many young talents there, Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen, but they lack a central defender to guide them. That’s where Silva comes in.

His defensive qualities, coupled with his ability to play the ball, make him a good fit for Lampard’s side, but what should be even more helpful is his experience, especially on a Chelsea backline that lacks it.

More pertinently, what other option did Chelsea have? What high-quality control panels are currently available? Kalidou Koulibaly is sought after by many clubs, mainly due to the lack of other options in a sold-out market. Signing Silva, therefore, becomes a no-brainer.