“He doesn’t fold in the big moments” - Owen Hargreaves warns Chelsea against parting ways with ‘priceless’ player
Pundit Owen Hargreaves has warned Chelsea against parting ways with experienced defender Thiago Silva in the summer transfer window.
Silva joined the Blues in 2020 and has been a consistent performer even in a struggling team this season. However, the Brazilian center-back is expected to exit the club once his contract ends in the summer.
One would assume this would have been the case with Silva aged 39 and set to turn 40 in September this year. However, Hargreaves feels that the former Paris Saint-Germain man has a lot more to offer at Stamford Bridge.
He told Premier League Productions (via HITC):
"Chelsea should keep him on. I think they should. The reason why they are struggling this season is because they have no leaders. No experienced players."
"They need more, not less of them! Won the Champions League and been one of the best centre-backs of all time, to mentor all these young centre-backs they have. Colwill, Badiashile and Disasi."
He added:
"Those guys are priceless in the dressing room to have. A guy like Thiago Silva, who has been there and done it, he doesn't fold in the big moments. He can still play. It's so important to have mentors when you come through- that guy would be the best mentor ever."
So far in his Blues career, Thiago Silva has played 151 matches across all competitions, bagging nine goals and three assists. He's won the UEFA Champions League and two other trophies with Chelsea.
Thiago Silva announces that he will be leaving Chelsea at the end of the season
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva announced via social media that he will be putting an end to his four-year stay at Stamford Bridge in the summer. He joined the Blues from Paris-Saint Germain in 2020 on a free transfer.
The Brazilian has continued playing a prominent role this season as well, making 34 appearances across competitions and bagging four goals. In a video posted by the west London team's official Instagram channel, Silva said:
"I think everything I did here over the four years, I always gave my all but, unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle, and an end. That doesn't mean it's a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that, in the near future, I can return albeit in another role here."
As a player, Silva is likely to get an excellent reception if he does feature on the final day of the season. Chelsea host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on May 19 in their last league tie.