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Chelsea’s need for defensive reinforcements this summer is one of football’s worst-kept secrets. The Blues conceded 54 Premier League goals last season, the same as 15th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and more than any other team who finished in the top half of the division.
Frank Lampard has already made moves to improve his front line. Deals for attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech and striker Timo Werner were done early, while Kai Havertz’s switch from Bayer Leverkusen is likely to be a done deal soon. However, that is only half the job.
There is still a lot of work that needs to be done with the back four. At left-back, Ben Chilwell looks to be the most likely addition, with Emerson looking to be on his way out to free up room in the squad.
There will likely be even more changes in the centre-back positions. Antonio Rudiger is coming off his worst season in a Chelsea shirt and was often rotated with Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma, both of whom also made far too many errors for Lampard’s liking.
Youngster Fikayo Tomori showed promise and was subsequently capped by England for the first time in November, although there is still a feeling that he needs time to adapt to the highest level.
However, it looks like Chelsea’s next addition at centre-back, Thiago Silva, will have no issue with that experience. The 35-year-old Brazilian’s eight-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain came to an end at the weekend with a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, thereby opening the door to a move to London.
Of course, at that age, he may still not have the pace or the legs to play in every game, but he would still be a vital addition to this Chelsea side. He reads the game exceptionally well and has shown over the past decade in European football that he isn’t likely to make the same mistakes Chelsea’s current centre-backs do.
More importantly, perhaps, Silva is a leader. He has captained PSG during the most successful spell in their history and led Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, where they fell apart when he was suspended for the semi-final against Germany.
When you look at what Chelsea were missing last season, it was a leader in their defence. Cesar Azpilicueta is their captain and a fine defender but he doesn’t have the leadership qualities of someone like Silva. This, combined with the apprehension over Kepa’s form, often led to uncertainty in the Chelsea backline last season.
If you look at Chelsea’s most successful sides in recent years, they have had a number of strong characters to lead the younger players. John Terry is the one that comes to mind but he also played alongside the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, who led by example.
When they left, Gary Cahill took over the role and had similar attributes to his game as Terry, even if he didn’t always get the credit he deserved. David Luiz, for all his defensive flaws, had crucial leadership skills, which is partly the reason why Arsenal extended his contract for another year.
Thiago Silva may not be the best defender in the league but he adds certainty and solidity to the backline. At 35, he may only be a stopgap but for a year or two, he might just fill a much-needed leadership role at Stamford Bridge.
