As if things couldn’t get any worse for Chelsea, one of their most experienced players has a verbal agreement to move on this summer.
Todd Boehly must be scratching his head after watching Mauricio Pochettino’s side go down 5-0 at Arsenal just days after losing their FA Cup semi-final to Man City.
They were abject in all areas at the Etihad Stadium and yet the Argentinian has had virtually a full season to iron out any errors.
The Blues are six games from finishing their 2023/24 Premier League campaign, and find themselves some 13 points away from a Europa League position.
Thiago Silva is leaving Chelsea
Whilst that’s difficult it isn’t impossible, though Boehly would almost certainly have expected a Champions League finish at worst.
Given the amount of money invested into the squad, that isn’t an unreasonable demand from the American, albeit he must also shoulder some of the blame because of chopping and changing the squad willy nilly.
Sooner or later there needs to be a period of calm, before decisions can be made rationally, and the upheaval behind the scenes could be said to be a factor in Thiago Silva leaving the club once his contract ends on June 30.
Goal note that he already has a verbal agreement with Brazilian side, Fluminense, the team where he began his youth career and for whom he played at senior level between 2006 and 2009.
At 39 years of age, Chelsea may have considered him surplus to requirements in any event, but it’s worth pointing out that his experience and demeanour would arguably have been a calming presence at the heart of the Blues back line.
For the immediate future, the Brazilian needs to concentrate on the job in hand and provide full focus to Chelsea as they aim to finish as high as possible in the Premier League.