Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva has revealed that he is preparing to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
The 38-year-old moved to Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, and he has been a key player for the Blues since his arrival, making 105 appearances in all competitions, contributing five goals and five assists in the process.
Silva has again been a regular this season, making 23 appearances in all competitions, but there has been uncertainty surrounding his future with Graham Potter's side.
The Brazilian's current terms with the capital side are due to expire at the end of June, but he has confirmed that an agreement over an extension is not too far away.
"We are talking about it (a new deal)," he told ESPN: "Everything will probably happen in the next few days. My intention, and that of the club as well, is to stay together. I know that the club needs me right now.
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"I am here to be able to help, they are young players, anyway. I know that, with my experience, I can help in this process of rebuilding the club, I'm here for that, willing to do this, however, I know that my responsibility is very great."
Silva has been a constant in Chelsea's Premier League side when available this season, making 18 appearances in England's top flight in 2022-23.
Last year, the South American said that he is planning to play until the age of 40 or 41, denying that he could retire from professional football if he left Chelsea this summer.
"I hope I can do the same thing that [Paulo] Maldini did at Milan, playing until he was 40 or 41 years old," Silva told Chelsea's official website at the time. "That's my plan for the immediate future and I have prepared myself for that.
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"When you're young, you think you're a superhero. I'd play one game a day so in terms of recovery it was a lot quicker, whereas now 24 hours seems like no time at all in which to recover.
"You've always got to be active and up to speed with the new recovery methods out there. I've got lots of things I do at home like physio work, and nowadays I've got a better diet than before. You need to fuel yourself well, not with the bad stuff."
Silva has won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
However, Potter's side face a battle to secure a top-four spot in this season's Premier League, as they currently sit 10th in the table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
A busy January market saw the Blues add Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix to their squad.
Matt Law
