According to reports, Thiago Silva wants to leave Chelsea this summer so that he can go back to Brazil and play for his old team, Fluminense.
The seasoned defender has grown impatient with events at Stamford Bridge. He won the Champions League in 2021 while playing for Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.
Globo Esporte reports that Silva, 38, is sorry he decided to extend his Chelsea contract by one year in February.
According to the Brazilian news source, Silva plans to leave Chelsea at the end of the 2022–2023 season and sign with Fluminense.
Silva is claimed to be close friends with Marcelo and has been persuaded to join the team that is second in Brazil’s Serie A by the 35-year-old former Real Madrid star.
According to reports, veteran striker Fred and Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt have both contacted Silva to persuade him to join the team before he retires.
Before retiring, Silva has expressed a wish to win the Copa Libertadores with his former team, Fluminense of Brazil.
Silva played for the premier Brazilian club for three years, making 143 games, and taking home the Copa do Brasil. In 2009, Silva moved to Europe with AC Milan.
When asked about a potential return to Fluminense by TNT Sports, Silva responded, “If I told you that I don’t think about it, I’d be lying to you.”
‘I think about it occasionally, and I’ve already discussed it with my wife. Making this choice can be challenging if you have spent your entire career in Europe and your children have grown up there.
Everyone is aware of my goal, but I do have this fantasy of going back and donning the Fluminense shirt. Nevertheless, I would rather wait and see how things play out in the future.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be shocking if Silva decided to leave Chelsea and finish his career with the Brazilian team.
Following the team’s dismal Champions League departure in April of this year, Silva lashed out at the Chelsea administration.
After Real Madrid’s victory, the seasoned defender cast a dejected appearance on the pitch as he was comforted by interim manager Frank Lampard.
After the game, Silva criticised the “incorrect step” the team’s owners had made and claimed that the managers could not be held solely responsible for the team’s failure.
The first step, in my opinion, has been taken. It’s a bad move, but it’s been taken,” Silva said. We can’t hold the management accountable if we don’t accept responsibility. For the club, it’s a challenging time with lots of uncertainty.
“Change in ownership, new players arriving—we had to expand the changing room’s size since it didn’t meet the size of the squad,” the manager said.
Mail Sport first reported Silva’s remark on Chelsea’s cumbersome 30-plus-player roster having space issues.
Because not everyone is able to play, there will always be someone who is upset, Silva stated. It’s difficult for the manager to choose just 11 players from a roster of around thirty.
“Some can’t make the squad; we signed eight in January; we need to pause and formulate a plan; else, we risk repeating the same errors next season.”