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Picture Credit: UEFA/Getty Images

Chelsea have exercised the option to extend Thiago Silva's contract, meaning the defender will remain with the Premier League club for a further year. The Brazil international was signed on a free transfer ahead of the 2020-21 campaign after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, making 34 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.

Silva started in the Champions League final against Manchester City but was forced off late in the first half through injury, leaving him to watch from the sidelines as his teammates clinched a 1-0 triumph in Porto to secure the trophy for a second time.

The 36-year-old will now be staying at Stamford Bridge for the 2021-22 season to continue working under Thomas Tuchel, who has himself committed his future to Chelsea by signing a new deal that runs through to 2024.

"When we brought Thiago Silva in last summer, we knew we were adding a world-class player to the squad," Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said.

"Thiago has duly shown everyone at Chelsea his immense quality throughout this season, and he has had a huge influence on and off the pitch for us.

"We said when he signed that we hoped Thiago would add new trophies to his impressive list of honours, and he has done just that with our success in the Champions League this weekend. We now hope that he carries on in exactly the same fashion in the coming year."

Silva previously worked under Tuchel at PSG, the pair reunited after the German coach was appointed to replace club legend Frank Lampard in January.

Chelsea sat ninth in the league table at the time Tuchel arrived but recovered to secure a top-four finish. They also reached the FA Cup final, though missed out on that trophy when beaten 1-0 by Leicester City at Wembley.

Silva played 2,744 minutes during a season that saw him miss time due to injuries. The former Milan centre-back had a tackle success rate of 58 per cent when on the field, while he also won 66.3 per cent of his duels, better than any other Chelsea player across all competitions.

His passing accuracy was similarly impressive as he adapted smoothly to life in the Premier League, a completion rate of 93 per cent the best by any Chelsea player.