Three possible Thiago Silva replacements after Chelsea exit confirmation

Cameron Smith

• 29 Apr 2024 11:31 BST
• 3 min read

Thiago Silva has confirmed that he will leave Chelsea when his contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of June.

The Brazilian is now 39 years old and a return to Fluminense has been touted as a possibility following Silva's emotional farewell message to Chelsea fans.

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With Silva on his way out, FootballTransfers runs through three possible replacement options for Chelsea.

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Ousmane Diomande

Ousmane Diomande is being courted by Europe’s elite clubs and he is expected to leave Sporting CP during the upcoming transfer window.

Chelsea are among the interested parties and a move for the Ivorian could be a smart idea given his obvious talent.

He would add to the young core of players at Stamford Bridge and could grow into Chelsea’s Silva replacement.

Marquinhos

With Silva leaving, signing his fellow Brazilian and former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Marquinhos could be a sensible idea.

He isn’t the same player he was back in 2020, however Marquinhos’ age and leadership would go a long way to ensuring Silva’s presence in the Chelsea squad isn’t missed.

Mauricio Pochettino has stated that he wants to add experience this summer and Marquinhos would certainly tick this box, although it will be hard to prise him away from PSG.

Trevoh Chalobah

It may seem foolish to say, but Trevoh Chalobah could easily step up in Silva’s absence.

The Englishman is expected to leave Chelsea this summer, amid Financial Fair Play concerns, but he has become a regular starter since returning from injury, proving Pochettino evidently rates him.

He may not have Silva’s experience, but he’s an academy graduate and has a passion for the club that is hard to buy. This option would also help Chelsea save money for their pursuit of Victor Osimhen.