According to the Sun via the Telegraph (subscription required), Thiago Silva is prepared to take a pay cut in order to fulfil his dream of playing in the Premier League.
The centre-back will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer after the Ligue 1 champions recently confirmed that the 35-year-old won’t be offered a new contract.
The Sun claim, via the Telegraph, that the Brazilian stalwart is willing to accept much lower than his current £325,000-a-week wages in order to seal a move to an English top-flight club.
It’s added that Silva would be ‘likely’ to negotiate an ‘incentivised’ contract if any Premier League clubs were to make a swoop for his services.
The Sun add that Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham are also eyeing the defender, as well as Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.
The Sun hint that Mikel Arteta has eyed Silva as a potential replacement for his former teammate David Luiz, who is set to leave the Gunners when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Silva touched on his preference to stay in Europe in an interview with Brazilian outlet Caras, as per the Sun:
“Everyone knows the affection I have for Fluminense (Silva’s boyhood club). But I still have goals to reach in Europe.”
Arsenal have struggled defensively for years now so someone like Silva could make a solid impact, especially if he’s partnered alongside a younger talent in either wonderkid William Saliba or Pablo Mari – if the ace is signed permanently after his loan spell ends.
Whilst proven winner Silva, who won the Ligue 1 title in all but one of his eight seasons with PSG, would be a solid experienced option, would he be worth even the reduced wages that he’d accept?
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Of course the entire ‘reduced wages’ notion is all relative, with Silva coming off the back of such a lucrative contract a deal worth even £100,000-a-week would be seen as a massive cut in the star’s eyes.
Considering that the defender may well have already turned 36 by the time next season starts after delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is Silva really a worthwhile signing for any PL club?