Tottenham’s reported transfer target Thiago Silva has admitted that he is on the verge of leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
What’s the word?
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Jose Mourinho’s side are eyeing up a free transfer for the Brazilian, with the veteran’s contract at the Parc des Princes coming to an end very soon.
Now, speaking ahead of PSG’s cup final against St Etienne, Silva revealed that whilst he didn’t want to leave the club, a decision on his future has already been made.
Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?
World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%
He said: “They asked if I could stay, but it’s not my decision. Now is not the time to talk about this topic. We will have time to talk about it later. I didn’t want to leave, but the decision has already been made. I respect (the decision) and will respect it until the end. There are no further discussions (about my future). Leonardo (the PSG sporting director) has already spoken to the press.”
Burden on the books
A few years ago, Silva moving to Spurs would surely have been seen as a massive coup, but now with him being 35 – he will turn 36 in September – that isn’t really the case.
The Brazilian has suffered numerous niggling injuries over these past few years, and the older he gets, the harder it will become for him to stay clear of it too.
Earning a reported £280k-a-week, picking up Silva’s wages would be a major problem for Daniel Levy and Spurs, Even if he were to take a considerable pay cut, it would still leave him amongst the Lilywhites’ highest earners.
In fact, if he were to take a 50% cut, Silva’s weekly wage of £140k would place him as the joint-third highest earner in the squad, with only Heung-min Son, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Kane to accompany him.
Despite being considered a locker room leader by former French ace Frederic Piquionne, that dressing room presence alone is simply not enough to warrant Spurs shelling out tonne of money on wages, especially given the current financial circumstances.
Levy must steer well clear of making a move.