It's expected to be another busy summer at Stamford Bridge with several Chelsea summer outgoings anticipated. The club will need to sell players in order to spend big on incomings with financial fair play regulations a source of great discomfort for the board.
One man who is certain to leave the club this summer is Thiago Silva. The 39-year-old has been at Chelsea for four seasons now and has built a great rapport with the club's supporters. He has repeatedly renewed his contract by a year each season but he took to Instagram this morning to confirm he will be leaving Chelsea this summer.
Four years, countless memories.
A message from Thiago Silva… pic.twitter.com/f2YbB4GMXY
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 29, 2024
The former PSG man said:
“Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too
“My sons play for Chelsea so it’s a source of great pride to be a part of the Chelsea family – literally because my sons are here. I hope they can continue their careers here at this victorious club that many players wish to be part of.
“I think in 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 that this is a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that in the near future I can return, albeit in another role here.”
Thiago Silva grateful he stayed through the pandemic
When the Brazilian joined the club, the UK were in the midst of the pandemic so he had to wait a while to play in front of fans at Stamford Bridge. During his debut campaign, he saw fans return just in time to see them win the Champions League in Portugal. Speaking about the importance of the Chelsea fans, Silva said:
“Obviously, when I started here, it was during the pandemic so there weren’t any fans in the stadium. But through social media, it became something very special to me and then when the fans started coming back to the stadium and life was getting back to normal, I started to feel a lot of affection and respect for my story and for my start here.
“It is already hard saying goodbye in the most normal of circumstances but when there is a mutual love, it’s even harder. But once a Blue, always a Blue.
“t's been a dream, definitely a dream. Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could achieve such great things and win one of the best professional titles, the Champions League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world. ‘Goodbyes are for those that leave and don’t come back. I intend on coming back one day.”