Neymar and Willian dealt Chelsea a helping hand in Thiago Silva pursuit
According to The Telegraph, Brazilian superstars Neymar and Willian helped nudge Thiago Silva to join Chelsea.
The 35-year-old signed for the Blues on a free transfer after his contract at Paris Saint Germain expired. It could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for Frank Lampard’s side given their need for a leader at the back.
Silva was not short of options and in fact looked to be on his way back to Italy where he had made a name for himself at AC Milan. The Rossoneri were among three Italian clubs keen on recruiting the Brazilian. (h/t The Telegraph)
According to the report, Fiorentina were leading the race for Silva who now had offers from across the world. This was turned upside down when super-agent Pini Zahavi presented him with an offer from Chelsea.
Silva was interested in playing in a new league and was instantly keen to join Lampard’s Blue revolution. (h/t The Telegraph)
Despite his willingness to be on board, the Brazilian wanted to seek out some advice while also doing his research before making his decision. (h/t The Telegraph)
He was given sound advice by both Neymar and Willian. The former was his teammate at PSG urged him to make the move, advising he would later regret not taking up the challenge if he turned it down (h/t The Telegraph)
An unexpected endorsement!
Willian who left Chelsea to join Arsenal earlier this summer, also pitched in to help Silva make his decision. He joked that had he known Silva was on his way to Chelsea, he would have decided to stay put than leave Stamford Bridge. (h/t The Telegraph)
In the end, their efforts bore fruit as Silva signed a one year deal to become Chelsea’s fourth high profile signing of the summer. (h/t The Telegraph)
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PSG made a late play to keep the veteran on for another two years. While Thomas Tuchel was keen on retaining him, the view was not shared by sporting director Leonardo. (h/t The Telegraph)
Theiir loss was our gain as Silva is now set to play a part in Chelsea’s rise to the top.