Chelsea already have Thiago Silva replacement lined up but he has not played this season

Sunday, May 19 is going to be an emotional day. Thiago Silva will play his final game for Chelsea in the Blues' last game of the 2023/24 season at home to Bournemouth.

The Brazilian defender announced last week he will move on from Stamford Bridge after almost four years with the west London club with his contract expiring at the end of next month. It will mark the end of an era for Chelsea and Silva, who have won three major honours together, including that 2021 UEFA Champions League trophy.

The 39-year-old, despite being the most senior player in the squad – and by quite some margin, too – has played 3225 minutes in all competitions for Chelsea this season and has been an integral part of their defence. So even though there is a huge sentimental value attached to Silva departing the club, there are footballing reasons to why Chelsea need to replace the former Paris Saint-Germain defender.

The Blues, football.london understands, have looked at centre-back options out there for around 12 months now. The likes of Ousmane Diomande has been scouted, as has Jean-Clair Todibo, although interest in the latter seems to have cooled somewhat in recent times.

But Chelsea may not need to look too far away for the ideal replacement for the departing Silva. Wesley Fofana, the centre-back signed in August 2022 for an initial £70million, has not played a single minute of competitive football this season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament prior to the club's pre-season tour of the United States last summer.

The 23-year-old has had a torrid time with injuries in his short professional career thus far. When at Leicester City, Fofana suffered a fibula fracture during a pre-season friendly match with Villarreal. The Frenchman would