Since Chelsea's summer takeover, much has been made of the sheer volume of the transfer business they have undertaken. Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have driven the plethora of Chelsea incomings since their arrival and have been unafraid to take an active role even with the formation of a recruitment team including Christopher Vivell and Paul Winstanley.
The pressure has been taken off the owners to an extent since the latter duo started their role at the club, with Joe Shields and Laurence Stewart also set to begin their work next month. The club have made 14 signings, as well as adding players such as Cesare Casadei and Omari Hutchinson to their development squad ranks.
Among the swathes of players however, Boehly and Eghbali were left with an immediate priority when the transfer window opened. While much has been made of Chelsea's inability to facilitate the transition of their squad in various positions, at the opening of July there was no hiding from the fact that defenders were needed.
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Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen saw their contracts expire after a year of uncertainty as they departed for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. There would have been the option to rely on the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Levi Colwill and Malang Sarr in addition to Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva, but it was quickly apparent that the club wanted to bring in some established stars.
Since then, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have all been added for somewhere in the region of £138million, while Marc Cucurella has also featured within a Chelsea back three. It's safe to say there have been varying degrees of success.
What has remained constant this term is the ability of Thiago Silva. Against Liverpool, the 38-year-old was once again his accomplished self, leaving Darwin Nunez with few ideas even when in one vs one situations.
It was 12 months ago that the Brazilian extended his deal by a year, and once again Silva has six months remaining on his contract. Since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2020, the veteran has bewildering seemed to improve and become more important as time has gone on.
Graham Potter reflected on his influence and the benefit to the rest of the squad after his charge's latest outing.
He said: “He’s got a football brain that is pretty much above everybody. He understands the game and he’s played for so long at the highest level. The players he’s played with, the players he’s played against, his references are so strong that he can help the team and individuals. He’s got Benoit [Badiashile] next to him, just his second game in the Premier League, and I’m sure he benefits from playing alongside Thiago. Everyone benefits from him. He is a leader on the pitch, leader off the pitch, a really important player”
At 38, time probably is ticking on Silva's career and Chelsea's tendency to offer lengthy contracts will not be an option. The former PSG and AC Milan defender may only be seen as a short-term option, though he could perhaps have long-term benefits for the players around him.
At some point, Silva will need to be transitioned out of the team as the Blues move to a new generation. Chalobah is still just 23, Fofana is 22, Badiashile is 21 and Colwill is 19, it's impossible to ignore what he can offer as Potter highlighted. While an extension may not be entirely fitting with the Chelsea philosophy that has been seen under the current hierarchy, the value may be impossible to ignore.
There was a suggestion in October that Silva wanted his future to be resolved in one direction or the other. Of course, the decision may no longer be in Chelsea's hands.
At that stage, Chelsea were fourth in the Premier League and unbeaten under Potter. Now sitting 10th and with aspirations for a Champions League position proving difficult to foresee without a significant improvement, the allure of remaining in west London may not be so clear.
While there will be plenty of excitement about a new generation of Chelsea stars, without the highest level of competition, it may be more difficult to convince Silva that his dream of returning to Fluminense is not worth realising. With the level Silva is currently playing out however, a summer transition could be sudden without his services.
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