Thiago Silva has already given Thomas Tuchel the transfer template to signing Robert Lewandowski

Thiago Silva was recently lauded by Jamie Carragher following Chelsea's Carabao Cup final as 'truly world class' and it's not difficult to see why.

While Virgil van Dijk was the subject of most of the praise that afternoon, Carragher was keen to reserve a special mention for the Brazilian, whose outstanding form for the Blues has been significant in a season where Thomas Tuchel's side look comfortable in third place and still have two other trophies to fight for.

Given he is now 37, it makes his effortless defensive work all the more impressive and while Chelsea have tended to favour a younger profile of player, Silva should act as an example to those behind the scenes at the club why the occasional sprinkle of experience is no bad thing.

His interview at the back end of last year on how he has continued to improve as he has grown older felt pertinent at a time where Robert Lewandowski was plundering a first-half hat-trick for Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The 33-year-old, who was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, netted his treble inside the opening 23 minutes as Bayern sailed past RB Salzburg into the quarter-final.

Lewandowski cemented his status as the leading elite European marksmen as Julian Nagelsmann's side strutted away 7-1 victors (8-2 on aggregate) and his latest goalscoring exploits may leave the Blues ruing their decision to not explore the possibility of a deal. The presence of Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea complicates any move for a striker of Lewandowski's calibre but the opportunity was rumoured to be there for the club in January.

Chelsea's transfer chief Marina Granovskaia, whose future at the club is now uncertain amid Roman Abramovich's decision to sell up, was