Sawt Falasteen - Thiago Silva to return to hometown club Fluminense at end of season

"I'm coming home," the 39-year-old Rio de Janeiro native wrote on X, accompanied with a video of him wearing the shirt of his boyhood club Fluminense.

Silva will join the Copa Libertadores champions on a two-year deal, with Chelsea allowing the centre-back to begin training with Fluminense prior to his registration transferring on July 1.

"He always played for your badge, as a true Blue legend. Thanks for all the love you gave for our champion, @ChelseaFC. Pride of London. Now it's time to come back home. Rio awaits you," said Fluminense on X.

Silva first joined Fluminense's academy as a youth but was forced to move away in order to find first-team opportunities.

He returned to the club in 2006 and won the Copa do Brasil, before joining Italian outfit AC Milan in 2009.

During his career in Europe, Silva won league titles with Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.

"O Monstro" (The Monster), as Silva is nicknamed by Brazilian fans, represented his country 113 times and won the Copa America in 2019.

Chelsea paid homage to the former Brazil national team captain on its club website: "He has also forged a lasting bond with Blues supporters and was named the club's Player of the Year at the end of the 2022/23 campaign."

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST