Thiago Silva could help Chelsea finally salvage their failed pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain centre-half Marquinhos ahead of next season.
Thomas Tuchel's side was heavily linked with the 27-year-old in the summer transfer window as the west Londoners looked to complete a triple raid of Les Parc des Princes.
The Blues boss was keen to lure £72 million-valued Marquinhos to Stamford Bridge, so Marina Granovskaia joined the race to win the Brazil international's signature, according to a report by the Mirror in July.
However, despite Chelsea's best efforts, the west Londoners failed to table a bid for the defender, rolling out the red carpet for Trevoh Chalobah to stake his claim.
The Cobham graduate has performed admirably since breaking through under Tuchel this season, having worked closely under Silva's supervision - just like Marquinhos when he arrived at PSG in 2013 as a youngster himself.
Chalobah has made 21 appearances this season, 13 of which have been alongside Silva, establishing himself in the first team among seasoned professionals.
The 22-year-old looks poised to follow in the PSG captain's hallowed footsteps, after the PSG star's latest admission paves a bright future for the former England youth international.
"Thiago showed me the way. He was one of the best defenders in the world, and he still is today. Me, I’m at my best level since I started my career. I’m at my best," Marquinhos said.
With Silva's help, Chelsea could mould Chalobah into Tuchel's very own Marquinhos; a key component of the German's success in Paris.
During Tuchel's time in charge at Les Parc des Princes, the PSG defender was a regular fixture in his side, often playing at centre-back or slightly further forward in central defensive-midfield.
Marquinhos was held in the highest regard by the Chelsea boss during their time together in Ligue 1, hailing the 27-year-old as the 'heart and soul' of his PSG side.
"Marquinhos is the heart and soul of our team," Tuchel said, as quoted by Ligue1.com. "That's why he must play at the heart of the action, but also because he's talented.
"He has all the qualities to play in midfield, and has a worker's mentality. He can help the defenders and the forwards at the same time. It's important that he's close to everybody as he's the boss.
"Marqui covers more ground than anybody else in the team and is valuable in the counter-pressing."
Tuchel also noted Marquinhos' versatility; the Brazilian can play at either centre-back or defensive-midfield, a quality that Chalobah also has in his locker.
"If Marqui needs to play at the back, then he will, but he has proven his ability in midfield. He can really push the team to its best level," he said.
"He did that several times last season [2019/20], notably during the 'Final 8' [UEFA Champions League] in Portugal. He scored against Atalanta and Leipzig. He is exceptional."
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