"Bring him back!" John Terry Urges Chelsea to Re-Sign Former Star in January Transfer Window.

• John Terry has urged the Chelsea Board to re-sign a former Chelsea player. 
• He believes the player is a missing piece in the Blues' setup.

Chelsea legend John Terry has backed Thiago Silva to make a return to the club during the January transfer window.

The 41-year-old left the Blues last year to return to Brazil, but his spell with Fluminense is set to end later this month. Silva is now keen on a move back to Europe in order to be closer to his family.

Terry believes the veteran defender could provide invaluable experience to Enzo Maresca’s youthful Chelsea squad, both on and off the pitch:

“Thiago Silva is available. Now, listen to me, a man with great experience, a man with a great relationship with our football club. His two kids are in our academy, no doubt he’s going to be back in London over here with his family for Christmas. I would love to see this man back at our football club playing alongside these players. Now, I’m not saying he has to play every week, but just the experience he can bring, playing alongside someone like that…”

“Probably goes back to my role under Antonio Conte in 2017 when we won the league. I didn’t play, but I had a role to play within the group, be that buffer between the players, the manager, the owners, and have that bit of experience where, sometimes, when you’re going through a tough spell or when you’re going through a good spell as well, you know what to say, what to deliver, and he certainly brings that as well. So, Thiago Silva back to Chelsea, that would make everyone very, very happy, me included in that, so who knows? I’m just throwing it out there. Thiago, we love you...''

Maresca did ask for a centre-back last summer.

It should not be forgotten that, following Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, the head coach made it clear he wanted to reinforce the heart of Chelsea’s defence. However, Maresca’s request went unanswered, with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart opting against adding a new centre-back at the time.

That stance could yet change in January. 

As Terry pointed out, both of Silva’s sons are based at Cobham, and it is widely believed the veteran defender would welcome a return to London.

While Chelsea have been reluctant to pay transfer fees for players over the age of 25, the club has shown greater openness to signing experienced players on free transfers—potentially making Silva an attractive short-term option.

However, per new reports, Thiago Silva is BACK in Europe! The 41-year-old Brazilian icon joins Porto on a deal until June 2026 (with an option to extend until June 2027).