Thiago Silva has told Mauricio Pochettino that he wants to stay at Chelsea amid fears he could be sold, according to reports.
The veteran defender was recently voted both Chelsea’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year after a season full of great performances in an otherwise dire Blues side.
The west London club finished 12th in the Premier League and are set for a summer rebuild under new manager Pochettino, whose appointment was confirmed on Monday.
However, before new signings can be made the squad must be trimmed down and Todd Boehly is keen to raise funds before the end of June so they can be included in the club’s financial accounts for the past season and remain compliant with Financial Fair Play rules.
As many as 12 players could leave Stamford Bridge, and though Silva is not one of those heavily linked with a transfer, there is plenty of interest in the 39-year-old from his native Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
And with seven senior centre-backs on Chelsea’s books, Pochettino will have to axe at least two of them and he could be tempted to give Silva, whose contract expires in 2024, the boot given his age.
But, according to the Evening Standard, Silva has informed his new boss that he fully intends to stay with the Blues and help the rebuild process.
This desire also comes from his family being settled in London, where they have lived since his move from PSG in 2020, while his two sons, Isago and Iago, both play in the Chelsea academy.
It remains to be seen what Pochettino will decide but it would seem strange to sell a player who has been consistently brilliant over the past three seasons and one who has little value in the transfer market.
Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are also set to stay given they only recently joined the club and have contracts running till 2029 and 2030 respectively.
Levi Colwill is set to become part of the first-team after a successful loan spell at Brighton, though he has hinted he would be open for a return to the Seagulls, but the same cannot be said of Ethan Ampadu who spent the last campaign on loan at struggling Italian side Spezia and is very much the forgotten man at the Bridge.
Chelsea would also like to move on Kalidou Koulibaly following a dreadful debut season in England but the 31-year-old is reluctant to leave and on a £200,000-a-week contract until 2026.
And that could ultimately spell the end for academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah who attracted much interest last summer but ha since signed a new deal that runs until 2028.
MORE : Crystal Palace interested in signing Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall amid Graham Potter links
MORE : Chelsea ready to offload 12 players as Mauricio Pochettino starts summer clear out
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