Chelsea star likely to leave club despite importance

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to see his side improve when they travel to face Aston Villa on Wednesday. 

The Blues make the trip to the Midlands for an FA Cup fourth round reply, just days after a humiliating 4-2 defeat against Wolves in the Premier League.

Pochettino’s side were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool in their previous outing, leaving the West London outfit 11th in the top flight table.

Despite spending more than £1 billion since Todd Boehly took charge of the club in 2022, Chelsea are heading for a second successive season without qualifying for Europe.

Despite this, it appears that one of their most important players is likely to depart this summer.

According to Fabrizio Romano, veteran defender Thiago Silva is likely to depart Stamford Bridge when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Silva scored during Chelsea’s defeat against Wolves on Sunday

The Brazilian joined the Blues in 2020 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain and made an instant impact in London, helping Chelsea to win the Champions League the following season under Thomas Tuchel.

He has made 144 appearances for his current club across all competitions and remains a regular under Pochettino, but Romano claims that his contract is unlikely to be renewed.

This season Silva has played in 22 of Chelsea’s 23 Premier League matches, becoming Chelsea’s oldest player in the competition at the age of 39.

The defender’s contract was initially set to expire in 2022, but it has twice been extended by a further 12 months.

Romano claims that there is a ‘concrete chance’ that Silva will depart Stamford Bridge this summer.

At present, the Brazil international competes with the likes of Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, and Trevoh Chalobah for a place in central defence, while Wesley Fofana could soon return from a long-term injury lay-off.