Chelsea ‘have made contact’ in bid to sign perfect long-term Silva replacement this month

Chelsea ‘have made contact’ in bid to sign perfect long-term Silva replacement this month

Chelsea have reportedly made contact with Strasbourg over a January move for Mohamed Simakan

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard made the decision over the summer to bring Thiago Silva to the club after hearing that he would become a free agent after deciding that now was the best time to leave PSG.

There were many people in the media whom believed that the ageing Brazilian would not have it anymore, that he would not be able to compete at the very highest level, but he has proven everybody wrong and is one of the best in the League right now.

However, he will not be at the club forever, meaning that Lampard will need to delve into that transfer kitty and try to sign a long-term replacement for the defender, with Simakan a man that has arrived on the shopping list.

According to Le 10 Sport, the Blues have ‘positioned themselves’ to sign Strasbourg’s Simakan, 20, who has established himself as one of the finest young centre-backs in Ligue 1 over the last two seasons.

It comes after Chelsea head coach Lampard recently admitted he was ‘a bit tentative’ about signing Silva but has been blown away by the Brazil international’s outstanding start at Stamford Bridge.

Asked whether Silva had performed even better than he expected, Lampard told Sky Sports: ‘I think so. I remember playing in the Premier League at 36 and I couldn’t play like he’s playing, week in week out. I was in and out of the team and I could feel it at that stage of my career.

‘So what I’ll say is I probably was a bit tentative. I knew he was a top player, had been a great player for a long time, but the pressures of the Premier League when you’ve never played there, he’d played in France for a long time – no disrespect.

“But yeah he probably has exceeded it slightly and really I shouldn’t have been surprised.

If Chelsea are seeking a long-term replacement for Silva, then signing Simakan while the Brazilian is still at the club would give him a chance to learn from the great man.