Thiago Silva urges Neymar to join Chelsea, as Thomas Tuchel hunts second winger after Raphinha deal
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva wants to reunite with Neymar at Stamford Bridge, with Thomas Tuchel aiming to bring in two wingers this summer.
The Blues have come to a full agreement with Leeds for Neymar’s Brazil team-mate Raphinha. According to Fabrizio Romano, it is worth between £60million and £65m.
They are now working on personal terms with Raphinha’s agent, Deco. If these are agreed then Chelsea could beat Arsenal and Barcelona to the 25-year-old’s capture.
Tuchel’s side are also planning to bid again for Raheem Sterling of Manchester City. But if he ends up staying at the Etihad, then they could pursue Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar instead. Romano states Tuchel’s desire is to land two wide players during the current transfer window.
Reports claim PSG have told Neymar he has no future at the club. He costs them over £600,000 a week, making him one of the best paid players in the world, but is yet to help the French side win the Champions League.
Silva played with the forward at PSG between 2017 and 2020, helping them to lift three straight Ligue 1 titles.
And the centre-back reckons Neymar should follow him to Chelsea, even if he will cost the Blues a major fee.
“He has to go to Chelsea,” Silva told reporters in Brazil (via Sport Witness). “If it happens, it will be for the best.
Thiago Silva ‘hopes’ for Neymar signing
“He needs no comments… So far, I don’t know anything, but I hope it comes to fruition.”
Silva suggests that no negotiations are underway just yet. However, this could soon change if he tells the Chelsea board to go after Neymar.
Signing the 30-year-old would be a real statement of intent from new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. Bringing in both Raphinha and Neymar would bolster Tuchel’s attacking ranks hugely.
It would be intriguing to see how much the latter would cost. As he is now 30, PSG cannot command a premium fee.
However, Neymar’s contract in Paris runs until June 2025. Due to this, he is unlikely to be cheap for Chelsea.
Back in 2014, the star spoke about rejecting a ‘huge’ bid from the West London outfit four years previously.
Raphinha race is still on with Chelsea amongst the favourites
Leeds United still in talks with Barcelona for Raphinha deal but Chelsea lead the race amongst Premier League clubs
He would remain at Santos for three more years before joining Barcelona in a £48.6m deal.
While Chelsea bringing Neymar to the Premier League would be a major coup, some Chelsea fans may hold concerns.
Neymar regularly comes in for criticism at PSG as a result of his sometimes lax work ethic.
Chelsea’s biggest title rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, don’t often carry players who are like this.
Therefore, there is certainly an argument for Chelsea pursuing Sterling’s signature over that of Neymar’s.
Meanwhile, a pundit has told Liverpool to go back in for a Chelsea player after failing to land him in 2020.
