Thiago Silva set to leave Chelsea this summer

Thiago Silva has confirmed he will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after more than 150 appearances for the club.

The 39-year-old joined from Paris St Germain in 2020, initially on a one-year deal, but went on to become a lynchpin in the heart of defence during a turbulent period of change at Stamford Bridge.

In announcing his departure, he said he hoped to return to the club "in another role" soon.

His first season ended with victory over Manchester City in Porto as the team won the Champions League for the second time, and the 113-cap Brazil international has endeared himself to supporters as the club has undergone a colossal turnover in personnel under Todd Boehly's Clearlake Capital consortium.

His departure means that, just three years on from that victory in Portugal in May 2021, there will be only two players left at Chelsea who were part of manager Thomas Tuchel’s 23-man squad for the final – captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell.

In a video posted on the club’s website, Silva said: "Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too.

"I think in everything I did here over the four years, I always gave my all. But, unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle and an end.

"That doesn’t mean that this is a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that in the near future I can return, albeit in another role here."

Manager Mauricio Pochettino started Silva in 22 of his first 24 Premier League games in charge, but he has been used more sporadically of late and was an unused substitute in four consecutive matches in March and April.

Weeks earlier, following a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves at the