THIAGO SILVA has interest from three London clubs, according to reports.
The Brazilian confirmed earlier this week that he is leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.
Silva, 39, is not set to retire and has plenty of offers to continue his playing career.
He has been the subject of strong interest from former club Fluminense in his native Brazil.
But according to TNT Sports BR, they are facing competition from England.
They claim that a trio of London clubs are chasing Silva’s signature.
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A strong factor in the centre-back’s decision will be his family.
Silva’s wife Belle is settled in London, while his sons Isago and Iago play for Chelsea’s academy.
Fluminense are said to hope that Silva’s loyalty to the Blues will stop him joining a London rival.
They are also claimed to believe that the defender will fancy returning, having played 97 times for them between 2006 and 2008.
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Upon confirming his Stamford Bridge exit, Silva said: “I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too.
“My sons play for Chelsea so it’s 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 part of.
“In everything I did here over the four years, I always gave my all. But, unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle and an end. 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.”
He then added: “When I started here, it was during the pandemic so there wasn’t any fans in the stadium.
“But through social media, it became something very special to me and then when the 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.
‘I intend on coming back one day’
“The way in which I came to the club, with the support of the club, I got to the club as a leader even though I didn’t feel like it, having arrived as the new guy.
“It’s always difficult to integrate but bit by bit I became part of the group and Lampard played a big part in that. I am grateful to him for that.
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“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.
“Goodbyes are for those that leave and don’t come back. I intend on coming back one day.”
Thiago Silva’s career stats
Those numbers in full:
- RS Futebol, 2002-2003: 25 games, 2 goals
- Juventude, 2004: 36 games, 3 goals
- Porto B, 2004-2005: 14 games, 0 goals
- Dynamo Moscow, 2005: 0 games, 0 goals
- Fluminense, 2006-2008: 143 games, 14 goals
- AC Milan, 2009-2012: 119 games, 6 goals
- PSG, 2012-2020: 315 games, 17 goals
- Chelsea, 2020-2024: 151 games, 9 goals
- Brazil, 2008-2022: 113 games, 7 goals
- Trophies: Brazilian Cup (Fluminense); Serie A, Italian Super Cup (AC Milan); Ligue 1 x7, French Cup x5, League Cup x6, Champions Trophy x5 (PSG); Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup (Chelsea); Copa America, Confederations Cup (Brazil)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk