Chelsea star to listen to family before committing to contract decision

The Graham Potter reign at Stamford Bridge is well underway and the Englishman has enjoyed a superb start to life in his new role. 

The Blues defeated AC Milan 2-0 at the San Siro on Tuesday, meaning Potter has now won four of his five matches in charge of the club.

A Jorginho penalty and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s third Chelsea goal were enough to give The Blues victory, with former player Fikayo Tomori having been sent off early on for a foul on Mason Mount.

At the end of the match, Thiago Silva was seen applauding the home supporters as well as his own club’s faithful.

The Brazilian spent three years with the Italian side and it was during his time in Milan that he first established himself as one of the world’s best in his position.

Since then, Silva has enjoyed huge success both at former club Paris Saint-Germain and in London.

The centre-back now has just eight months remaining on his current Blues contract, though, and Potter has claimed that the defender’s future is entirely in his own hands.

“The decision is Thiago’s,” he said.

“I’ve been here three or four weeks and I see his qualities. He is an incredible person and player.

“The performance levels he can reach and the amount of respect he has in the game is incredible. All I can do is help him to enjoy his football here, and the rest is for him and the club to think about.”

In the wake of his manager’s comments, the Brazil international has revealed that his family will play a significant role in determining whether or not he remains a Chelsea player beyond next summer.

Silva is in the final year of his current contract at Chelsea 

Speaking ahead of The Blues’ clash with the Serie A champions, Silva explained his situation, as reported by The Evening Standard.

“It is probably not the right time to talk about contracts,” he said.

“What I can tell you is, for me it is important to continue playing at the highest level and help the team achieve the highest possible results.

“The time will come to talk and it could be time before or after the World Cup.

“I need to decide my contract for my family arrangements and it is not easy. We will see what will happen.”

Silva has been sensational for Chelsea since arriving on a free transfer from PSG in the summer of 2020.

The 38-year-old has already amassed 92 appearances for the club despite his age, and he played a crucial role in the club’s Champions League triumph in 2021.

Last term the defender, who was 37-years-old for the majority of the campaign, made a staggering 42 appearances across all competitions, missing just six Premier League matches.

On Tuesday, he played his part as Chelsea kept a third consecutive clean sheet, restricting the Italian side to just a single shot on target.