At this stage, it would be quite a surprise if the central defender ended up staying in west London.

In terms of who Chelsea could sign to replace Silva, they have been linked with several different centre-backs.

Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesShould Chelsea actually be letting Thiago Silva go?

Firstly, it is worth discussing whether Chelsea should be allowing Silva to depart.

The Brazilian is 39 now and has probably not been at his best this season, with Pochettino even dropping him recently.

Nevertheless, Silva has still gone on to make 30 appearances and has even chipped in with a few goals along the way, with his most recent coming in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Sheffield United on Sunday.

According to WhoScored, the former Paris Saint-Germain captain is still making the most clearances per league game in his squad, showing that he can get rid of danger.

Ultimately, then, Chelsea would not be hurting themselves by keeping Silva around, but it does not look like that is going to happen.

Matthijs de Ligt could be the perfect Thiago Silva replacement

A lot of Chelsea fans will not want to see Silva go, but landing a defender like Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt as his replacement should ease the pain a bit.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, De Ligt is on Chelsea’s radar again after the club were interested in signing him before his £68m move from Juventus to Bayern in 2022.

The Dutchman is a real leader, something Chelsea legend Petr Cech has mentioned, and is absolutely brilliant in the air.

Over the last year, De Ligt has ranked in the 90th percentile for aerials won among centre-halves (FBref).

It may not be an easy deal to do, with Chelsea’s absence from the Champions League set to continue, but it is certainly something worth exploring this summer.