Chelsea has identified a replacement for Thiago Silva at Bayer

Chelsea is looking to strengthen their defensive line by signing Bayer center-back Jonathan Tah, as reported by the German issue Bild.

According to the source, the 27-year-old German national team defender is seen by the Blues as a potential replacement for veteran Thiago Silva. Silva, aged 39, has a contract with Chelsea until the end of the season and is unlikely to be extended due to his age.

During the recent match against Newcastle, Silva became the oldest player to ever represent Chelsea. At the time he stepped onto the field, he was 39 years and 64 days old.

Tah's contract with Bayer runs until June 2025 and includes an option for Chelsea to buy the player, a move they are planning to exercise.

This season, Tah has played 18 matches for Bayer across all competitions, scoring four goals. He also has 21 appearances for the German national team. Transfermarkt values the center-back at 20 million euros.

Chelsea is having a challenging season, currently sitting in tenth place in the Premier League table. Today, at 21:15 Central European Time, they will face Manchester United.