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Chelsea will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in the EFL Cup semi-final. The Blues will have their task cut out against a Spurs side on the rise under Antonio Conte.
Meanwhile, Thiago Silva has extended his stay at Chelsea. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid are planning to move for a Blues defender in January. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 4th January 2022.
Thiago Silva extends stay at Chelsea
Thiago Silva has extended his stay at Chelsea, the club has confirmed. The Brazilian was in the final year of his previous contract, but did enough to warrant an extension. The 37-year-old continues to be one of the mainstays of the Blues' backline.
Chelsea are in a precarious position regarding the contracts of quite a few of their defenders. Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are all set to become free agents this summer. Silva was previously on that list, but the Blues have now tied him down to a new one-year deal.
The Brazilian was pivotal to Chelsea's UEFA Champions League triumph last season. Manager Thomas Tuchel has relied heavily on him this season, and the 37-year-old has repaid that faith. The Brazilian will now stay with the Blues until at least the end of the 2022-23 season.
Speaking after signing across the dotted line, Silva expressed his delight at extending his stay.
"To play here with Chelsea is a real pleasure. I never thought I would play for three years here in this great club, so I’m very happy to stay for another season," said Silva.
Atletico Madrid planning January move for Cesar Azpilicueta
Atletico Madrid are planning to sign Cesar Azpilicueta in January, according to AS. The La Liga giants are braced for life without Kieran Trippier, who could leave the Wanda Metropolitano this month. Manager Diego Simeone has identified the Chelsea captain as Trippier's replacement.
Azpilicueta has been a loyal to the Blues for over a decade. However, his current deal is set to expire this summer. Chelsea are yet to tie him down to a new deal, so Atletico Madrid are eager to take advantage of that. The Blues could be willing to offload the player for the right price this month.
Paulo Di Canio slams Romelu Lukaku
West Ham United legend Paulo Di Canio has criticised Romelu Lukaku for his controversial interview with Sky Italia. The Belgian had very strong words for Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, which did not sit well with Di Canio.
The Italian labelled Lukaku a 'fragile' player, and predicted that the interview could be his downfall.
"The player is not aware of what he said; I saw the weakness of an athlete who gives up after six months of the Premier League, where he arrived with arrogance," said Di Canio.
"He is a fragile player, who would like to escape. He scored a sensational own goal with those words; he made a disaster," continued Di Canio.
