Chelsea fans to honour key player with special tribute ahead of Nottingham Forest clash at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea fans are set to pay tribute to Thiago Silva in their side's Premier League encounter with Nottingham Forest on Saturday (May 13).
According to football.london, Blues fans will unfurl a banner n the Matthew Harding stand to honour the Brazilian for his incredible displays at the club. Silva, 38, joined the club on a free transfer in 2020 and has been vital at Stamford Bridge.
Silva was key in Chelsea's 2021 UEFA Champions League winning campaign. He has been an ever-present at the club, featuring 32 times across competitions this season. He has helped the Blues keep eight clean sheets.
However, the Brazilian is expected to leave the West Londoners in the summer despite his contract expiring in 2024. His former side Fluminense have opened the door for the veteran defender to rejoin the club. The club's president Fred told Globo’s Cheguei Podcast that the Brazilian outfit will welcome Silva back:
"Open arms. Thiago depends much more on him. The president talks to him."
Silva is regarded as one of the best defenders in European football. He has also played for AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain and has won seven Ligue 1, one Serie A, one Coupe de France and one Coppa Italia title.
Atletico Madrid president opens up on Joao Felix's future with Chelsea loan spell expiring
Atleti president Enrique Cerezo has said that he doesn't know what the future holds for Joao Felix beyond the summer. The Portuguese attacker has been on loan at Chelsea but is set to return to the Wanda Metropolitano at the end of the season. Cerezo told Marca about Felix's future:
“We don’t know what will happen to Joao in the summer. At the moment, he is at Chelsea. Then we see if he can renew or not; he can continue another season or not. … but don’t worry about that.”
Felix has endured a mixed spell at Stamford Bridge. He has scored three goals in 17 games across competitions.
He signed a new contract when leaving Atletico on loan, keeping him tied to the La Liga club till 2027. That was to protect the club and give guarantees regarding a potential future transfer, per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea will be under new management in the summer. Former PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino is heavily expected to become the next permanent manager. It will likely be his decision whether Felix is signed on loan once again or permanently.