Thiago Silva has said he has an indescribable love for Chelsea after confirming he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Silva will depart after four seasons with the Blues when his contract expires in the summer. The veteran defender signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and has since made 151 appearances for the West Londoners, forming part of the team that won the Champions League in his debut campaign.
The 39-year-old has released a video confirming his departure, with the centre-back expected to return to Brazil.
“Chelsea means a lot to me. 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,” he said.
‘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.
“I think 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.
“But…it’s an indescribable love. I can only say thank you.
“Obviously, 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.
“It is already hard saying goodbye in the most normal of circumstances but when there is a mutual love, it’s even harder. But one a Blue, always a Blue.”
