3 reasons why Chelsea need to sign £40m defender

With the agent of Thiago Silva suggesting that the Brazilian defender could be leaving in the summer and is on the radar of Barcelona, we offer three reasons why we think Chelsea should break the bank to capture his services.

1) Winner

Ever since Silva was a child he has been used to winning things. His natural determination and desire to succeed has seen him pick up silverware with Fluminese, AC Milan, medals with Brazil and most recently a Ligue 1 trophy with PSG. Chelsea need leaders to get them back where they want to be, and a man of Silva’s influence is not to be sniffed at. The 28-year-old could be the difference between a title and a place in the top four should he switch to the Bridge.

2) Brick wall

Silva has been remarkable this season. His domineering presence at the back is seldom matched and his ability to strip the opposition of possession is alluring to watch. Looking at his duels this campaign, the sturdy Brazilian has won a massive 75% of his. Compare that to John Terry’s 69%, Gary Cahill’s 69%, Branislav Ivanovic’s 60%, David Luiz’s 56%, and Cesar Azpilicueta’s 55% you soon get an idea just how resolute he has been.

3) Involved

The role of a centre-back has drastically changed in modern day football. Gone are the days where central defenders run down forwards, knocking them off the ball and then lump it up field. Now, they are expected to deal with everything with maximum composure and play their way out of trouble. Silva does this brilliantly, as his 89% pass rate suggests, but he makes an average of 10 defensive actions per game. Again, this is more than any other Chelsea man across their backline can match.