Chelsea could land £65m dream Thiago Silva replacement with defender tipped to be a legend

Thiago Silva’s time as a Chelsea player will officially come to an end next week, when the Brazil defender’s contract expires.

Two months have passed since the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain star confirmed his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge would end and he’s already agreed to extend his trophy-laden career back in his homeland with Fluminense. Despite being in the latter years of his career, Silva’s impact at Chelsea has been significant and his class, composure and experience will be greatly missed by everyone connected with the Blues.

But what about the players he leaves behind? Chelsea still boast a plethora of options in the heart of their defence with new manager Enzo Maresca able to call upon the services of Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah. Malang Sarr will also be back in contention after returning from a loan spell at Monaco and academy product Alfie Gilchrist also showed signs of promise during a breakthrough year last time out.

Despite boasting a wealth of talent, Chelsea may well feel they need to spending big and Todd Boehly’s reign suggests when that is the aim, the Blues will target players aged between 20 and 24. The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Mykhaylo Mudryk have all fit into those age range and were handed long-term deals after being brought in for a combined cost of around £280m. If that is to be Boehly’s method going forward, there is a long-term replacement for Silva that would fit the bill in a number of ways.

Although he has several admirers within the powerhouses of European football, highly-rated centre-back Antonio Silva remains a Benfica player and is sure to be at the heart of some transfer talk this summer after an impressive introduction into life at a senior level in Portugal’s top tier. After breaking into the senior setup at Estadio da Luz during the opening weeks of the 2022/23 season, Silva partnered the likes of Nicolas Otamendi and former Spurs star Jan Vertonghen and clearly made a significant impression on the latter of that duo.

Speaking to Portuguese outlet Record about the young defender’s partnership with former Manchester City defender Otamendi, Vertonghen said: “Otamendi is making a wonderful time. At his age, he remains very physical and important and a key player in the team. He is a true leader, as demonstrated in the World Cup. At the beginning of the season he started playing with Morato, who is a very good player, but then, because of the injuries they had to put the kid Antonio Silva, but the boy will be a legend. If he keeps doing what he’s been doing, he has everything to be one of the best defenders in the world in a year or two.”

Silva had already been praised by Roger Schmidt, who praised the youngster’s professionalism just months after his debut, saying: "Antonio is 18, but when you see him on the pitch, he doesn't look that age. It was obvious in pre-season that he is a talented player and that he is already a professional player who is able to withstand the pressure playing for the Benfica first team, and he has shown it many times this season."

The achievements continued to gather as Silva notched his first senior goal in a dramatic Champions League win against Juventus and his maiden season in the senior setup ended with Silva becoming a Primeira Liga champion, as his side claimed the title with a two-point advantage on rivals Porto. The young defender was named in the league’s team of the year and he landed a first call-up to the senior Portugal squad, making his debut in a 4-0 friendly win against Nigeria before making a first competitive appearance in a 2-1 defeat against South Korea at the World Cup Finals in Qatar.

Unsurprisingly, Silva’s progression also saw him capture the attention of several of European football’s biggest clubs with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United all said to have shown an interest in what would be a big money deal to prise him away from Benfica. Their interest should be no surprise as Silva would provide a long-term option at the heart of even the best of defences. Still only 20-years-old, the Viseu-born centre-back almost 100 senior appearances, ten Portugal caps and has featured in both the Champions League and Europa League with regularity.

There are aspects to his game that require work but that will come with further experience and with the developing nature of this Chelsea squad, Silva would slot in nicely and could provide new manager Maresca with a young player that can become the stalwart of his backline as he looks to build something special at Stamford Bridge.