Thiago Silva is in advanced talks with Chelsea over a free transfer, according to reports. It is believed negotiations have been ongoing for the past few days.
Chelsea desperately need new defenders and Frank Lampard is keen to add an authoritative figure to his back line, with Silva a cheap alternative to their main two targets.
Chelsea’s interest in Declan Rice and Lewis Dunk is no secret, but signing either of them will not be easy. Rice is valued at around £80million by West Ham, who don’t want to sell him to anyone, least of all Chelsea. Brighton, meanwhile, would demand around £50million for Dunk.
The Seagulls captain has impressed in the Premier League since their promotion, but Chelsea would be wise to consider his age and relative lack of experience at the highest level, when weighing up a bid. There is no guarantee that the 28-year-old will get any better and for a fee of £50million, he would be under huge pressure to hit the ground running.
Silva, meanwhile, will play his last ever game for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday night in the club’s first ever Champions League final, eight years after joining them from AC Milan.
At 35, he would not be a signing for the future but a luxury stop-gap. He is in the twilight of his career but has maintained an extremely high level of performance this season as PSG chase their fourth title of the campaign.
While Chelsea conduct a more thorough search for a long-term defensive signing, they could do a lot worse than signing the PSG captain to shore up their backline for a year or two.
A natural leader, tremendous athlete and comfortable playing out from the back, his complete skillset would be a welcome addition at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may face competition from Everton, whose manager Carlo Ancelotti coached Silva at PSG in 2012-13.