Former PSG star Thiago Silva joins Chelsea on one-year deal

Chelsea on Friday confirmed the signing of former Paris Saint-German star and Brazilian defender Thiago Silva on a one-year deal, with an option to further extend for 12 months, after departing Ligue 1 side.

Nicknamed 'The Monster' by the Brazilian and French press, the 35-year-old has the composure and technical ability to play the ball out from centre-back and a wealth of experience at the highest level of football. He has captained Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the Brazilian national team.

All those qualities were on display when he helped the French side reach the Champions League final for the first time last season. He earned further praise for leading a valiant defensive effort against Bayern Munich in his last match for PSG and became the first Brazilian to captain a team in a Champions League final.

"I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Frank Lampard's exciting squad for next season and I'm here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon," Silva said in a statement.

During his time in Paris, Silva made a total of 315 appearances, including 21 this season as PSG won a domestic treble.

He becomes Chelsea's fifth major signing of the window, with Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr already snapped up.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: 'We are delighted to be able to add a player of Thiago Silva's proven world-class credentials to our squad. Having performed at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt his experience and quality will complement the many exciting talents we already have here.

"Thiago will be an excellent fit and we hope he can add some new trophies to his impressive list of honours," she added.

Chelsea enters the 2020-21 season after finishing fourth in the Premier League in Frank Lampard's first campaign as manager. The Blues will open the Premier League season at Brighton on September 14.

( With inputs from ANI )