Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues eyeing Thiago Silva extension, club not planning to offload Raheem Sterling, and more - January 24, 2023
Chelsea will welcome Fulham to Stamford Bridge on Friday, February 3, in the Premier League. With his team currently placed tenth in the league table, Graham Potter needs all three points against the Cottagers.
Meanwhile, the Blues are planning to extend Thiago Silva's stay at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, the London giants are not looking to offload Raheem Sterling this year, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer news from January 24, 2023.
Chelsea eyeing Thiago Silva extension
Chelsea are planning to extend Thiago Silva's stay at Stamford Bridge, according to The Times via The Metro. The 38-year-old has been a revelation since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2020. The Brazilian has registered over 100 appearances for the Blues and is an indispensable part of Graham Potter's setup.
However, Silva's current contract is set to run out at the end of the season and he is yet to commit his future to the club. His contract situation has put a number of clubs around Europe on high alert, since the Brazilian is showing no signs of slowing down. However, the London giants are reportedly planning to keep Silva at the club for at least another year.
Thiago Silva hopes to play till his 41 years old. The way he is going it looks likely. https://t.co/BaoCaP8Zj4
Potter believes the 38-year-old is the perfect role model for his current squad, which has a lot of young players. The English manager is also impressed with Silva’s performances and wants him to continue at the heart of Chelsea's back-line. Thiago Silva has made 23 appearances for the Blues this season in all competitions, registering two assists.
Blues not planning to offload Raheem Sterling
Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Chelsea are not looking to offload Raheem Sterling despite recent reports to the contrary. The English forward arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer from Manchester City, but has so far failed to live up to expectations. The arrival of Mykhaylo Mudryk has raised doubts over Sterling's future in West London.
🤕 Raheem Sterling is expected to be out for around 1 month...
#CFC #ChelseaFC https://t.co/lFd0OMFj2R
Recent reports have linked the 28-year-old away from Stamford Bridge. However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips believes that the London giants are likely to keep hold of Sterling for squad depth.
"In terms of would Chelsea be willing to sell him, definitely not this window, and I personally can’t see him being allowed to go in the summer either. He’s certainly going to be a player that they’ll want to keep around for solid squad depth as they rebuild the attack and everywhere on the pitch, really," said Phillips.
Sterling has 22 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season, scoring six goals and setting up three more.
Fabrizio Romano provides update on Chelsea's pursuit of Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea are yet to make ground in their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. The Argentinean midfielder is a priority target for Graham Potter this month after an impressive run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 22-year-old dazzled as La Albiceleste lifted the coveted trophy and was adjudged the Best Young Player of the tournament.
Fernandez has been brilliant for Benfica this season, amassing four goals and seven assists from 28 games in all competitions. His exponential rise has endeared the Argentinean to the Blues, who want to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez still wants to come to Chelsea. https://t.co/shwbp08xZN
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the Portuguese club have refused to budge from their €120m valuation of the player.
"At the moment, what I’m told is that Benfica are still on the same position: €120m or nothing. Let’s see if Chelsea will try again, there are no direct negotiations yet," said Romano.
The Italian journalist also shed light on the London giants' quest to sign Moises Caicedo, adding that Brighton & Hove Albion are reluctant to offload the Ecuadorian.
"Moises Caicedo remains in the list, there are also other players; no decision made yet. Caicedo has new agents now and so Arsenal and Liverpool are also informed on the situation. Of course Chelsea have been pushing for weeks and so they remain keen on signing Caicedo. The big issue is Brighton; they want to keep the player," Romano added.
Caicedo has appeared 21 times in all competitions for the Seagulls, scoring one goal and setting up one more.