CHELSEA are ready to tie Thiago Silva down to a year contract extension, according to reports.
The 36-year-old central defender joined Stamford Bridge on a one-year deal after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
The veteran has impressed during his time in the Premier League and was a mainstay in the side under ex-boss Frank Lampard.
A thigh injury has ruled him out of action for the last eight matches although he is expected to be fit after the international break.
Silva further endeared himself to supporters when he sparked wild celebrations from the stands after Chelsea knocked Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League.
Boss Thomas Tuchel, who worked with Silva as PSG, made it no secret of his desire to keep the player amongst the ranks next season.
He said of the Brazilian: “About his contract it’s too early and not the surrounding now to speak about it.
“It’s between him and the club, and me and the club, we will take this decision together.
“But if you watch the celebration pictures carefully you will see how young he looks.
“He was running up and down the stairs, he was dressed like a 28-year-old. So I think there’s still a way to go.
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“I’ve known Thiago now for many years, we had a fantastic partnership at Paris St Germain,” said Tuchel.
“He was an absolutely reliable partner as captain for me as a coach from the first minute I stepped in.
“Once he is part of the team he is 100 per cent part of the team, 100 per cent professional and he’s a very emotional guy.
“And if we want to have special results, and if we want to have special moments we need to play with a special atmosphere.
“This does not change in football, not at the highest level and not in the park round the corner.
“And this is what football can do, and to create an atmosphere like this, you can totally rely on Thiago. He absolutely sees himself as a team player, he lives for the team that he plays for.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
