Chelsea defender Thiago Silva had urged for the signing of former Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta. The 25-year-old had joined fellow London side, West Ham, in the closing days of the transfer window.
Chelsea have reportedly spent more than any other Premier League side this window. They have spent a total of £255.3million on players, mostly defenders. This is in accordance with Thomas Tuchel’s wishes, as well as to replace the departing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
New owners, Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital consortium have shown their eagerness to invest in the Blues’ success. They have invested in some of Europe’s top talent so far. However, they have also brought in young talents such as Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Veteran defender Silva knew of the rebuilding process, and also recommended Brazil teammate Paqueta to reinforce their midfielder.
What did Thiago Silva say about Paqueta?
Thiago Silva spoke on Paqueta’s potential transfer to Chelsea to ESPN Brazil:
“I didn’t talk to Paqueta in relation to him coming here [to Chelsea].”
“I knew he was about to leave Lyon and I had some conversations here with some people [at Chelsea], but unfortunately things did not move forward, because we were not 100% sure he would leave Lyon.
“Last week it [rumours of Paqueta’s summer exit] got stronger, but we had other priorities. We needed a striker and another defender, but less of a midfielder.
“That’s why things didn’t evolve well.”
Thiago Silva has shown eagerness to face his Brazillian teammate on Saturday’s London Derby.
