Thiago Silva confirmed that he will leave Chelsea after the Premier League season, as his contract expires this summer.
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Silva to leave Chelsea
Chelsea posted a video of the 39-year-old leaving an emotional message to the club.
“Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of staying for only one year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family too,” he said.
“My sons play for Chelsea, so it is 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 a part of, I think everything I did here over the four years. I always gave my all but unfortunately everything has a start, a middle, and an end.
Silva has been linked to a move to Major League Soccer or a return with AC Milan in Serie A.
The Brazil international is also considering to go back to his home country, with Fluminense among the interested clubs.
However, Silva has stated that he “leaves the door open” for a possible return to Chelsea in ‘another role.’
“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. But it is an indescribable love. I can only say thank you.”
Silva’s arrival
Silva joined Chelsea in 2020 during the pandemic and has since made 151 appearances for the club.
During his time with the Blues, the defender has won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup
“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 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,” Silva said.
“So it is already hard saying goodbye in the most normal of circumstances but when there is a mutual love, it is even harder. But once a Blue, always a Blue.”
“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.”
Silva is currently recovering from his groin injury, and it remains unsure if he will be able to play in any of the club’s final five Premier League games before leaving for good.
“Goodbyes are for those that leave and don’t come back. I intend on coming back one day.”
