Chelsea will allow star player to leave if he expresses his desire to rejoin his former club this summer - Reports

Chelsea will reportedly allow veteran defender Thiago Silva to leave should he decide to return to Brazil this summer. The 38-year-old has another year on his contract with the Blues but has been linked with a move to his former side, Fluminese.

Silva has been a key player for Chelsea since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and the club wants him to stay beyond this season. However, if he decides to leave, the Blues won't stand in his way, according to The Telegraph.

The centre-back has an emotional connection with Fluminese. The Brazilian club gave him a lifeline back in 2006 with a loan move when Silva had just recovered from a career-threatening tuberculosis problem.

Considering this, it would be a fairytale if the player returns to the club for one last dance before drawing the curtains on his career. In an interview with The Telegraph last year, Silva even admitted this, saying:

“Fluminense is the club I would like to finish at. It was the club where I played after I had my illness and it’s the club who opened the door for me after that stage and believed in me when nobody thought Thiago Silva would still make it as a player. As incredible as it may seem, it’s the club that I support as well.”

Either way, Silva's exit from Chelsea have been doing the round lately. The Brazil international has been growing frustrated in the side following what's been a tumultuous season. He even criticized the co-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, for their decision-making after the Blues' elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

With just 42 points and 11 wins from 34 games, Chelsea are currently 11th in the Premier League table and likely to miss out on European football next season.

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Chelsea set for a massive summer clear out

Thiago Silva may not be the only player set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. Chelsea could be forced to sell many of their players in order to meet the Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Blues have incurred a loss of £121 million for the year 2021-22. Moreover, they made a preposterous outlay of about £600 million on transfer this season alone, besides paying former manager Graham Potter a hefty fee for his appointment.

This could force the west London side to sell off first-team stars like Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, according to The Times. And that's not all, their poor financial shape could also force the club to halt their plans of building a new stadium worth £2 billion.