Chelsea star Thiago Silva has revealed he explored the possibility of West Ham record signing Lucas Paqueta joining him at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues spent more than any other Premier League club in the summer transfer window after splashing a total of £255.3million on eight new players. Thomas Tuchel was keen to add a new midfielder to his squad before the transfer deadline with Chelsea having pursued a deal for Barcelona star Frenkie De Jong and Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez before securing a loan deal for Denis Zakaria from Juventus.
Paqueta had been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge and London rivals Arsenal throughout the summer before sealing a Premier League transfer to join West Ham. Chelsea have struggled in attack with Kai Havertz failing to score in the opening five games of the season and a creative midfielder may have helped Tuchel's side solve the issue facing them heading into a busy period of fixtures.
READ MORE: Chelsea confirm new Armando Broja long-term deal amid Thomas Tuchel transfer decision
Chelsea defender Silva is a big fan of Paqueta and has since backed him to impress in England, but hopefully not against the Blues on Saturday. The Brazilian has now revealed to ESPN Brazil, via the Evening Standard, that he explored the possibility of convincing the west London outfit to make a move for the former Lyon man.
Silva said: "I heard he was about to leave Lyon, had some conversations here with some people, but unfortunately things didn’t work out. We weren’t 100% sure he would leave Lyon."
The Brazilian defender also admitted that signing a new midfielder was less of a priority for manager Thomas Tuchel. Injuries to Kante and Kovacic in recent weeks have left the Blues' midfield options a bit light, with Jorginho, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek having to fill in.
"The last week arrived, this thing got a lot [clearer] and we had some other priorities because of the injuries we have in the team. So we needed a striker, another defender. A midfielder, was a little less [of a priority], I think that’s why things didn’t evolve well," Silva added.
"I'm happy for Paqueta because West Ham certainly have a very good structure, it’s a great club in the Premier League scene. I just hope he can be sad on Saturday. After that he can stay happy and get to the World Cup the way he knows, the way he’s been doing, which is playing good football."
Chelsea face the Hammers in a London derby clash on Saturday afternoon with the Blues in need of a reaction from their defeat to Southampton earlier this week. Young striker Armando Broja signed a new long-term contract after Deadline Day and could be handed a start against the side that were interested in signing him during the summer transfer window, with Havertz's performances failing to reach expectations.
READ NEXT:
Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Chelsea vs West Ham, Aubameyang, Zakaria, Fofana, and much more
Why Denis Zakaria cannot make Chelsea debut vs West Ham after deadline day transfer
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
Chelsea transfer business under the microscope in 'good deal' or 'bad deal'
