“He’s the best person” – Wright-Phillips claims Chelsea should have kept one player last summer | OneFootball

Former Chelsea player Shaun Wright-Phillips believes the Blues are really missing one player they allowed to leave the club last summer.

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over three years ago there’s been a high volume of turnover in the playing squad.

The Blues once again moved a number of players on in the summer with the likes of Conor Gallagher, Lewis Hall and Ian Maatsen all embarking on new challenges.

Wright-Phillips feels Chelsea were wrong to let Silva go

Chelsea have a lot of talented youngsters in their squad, but are clearly lacking the right blend of youth and experience.

The club let their most experienced player in Thiago Silva leave last summer and Wright-Phillips feels the Blues were wrong to let the veteran Brazilian leave.

“You speak about the attack, I think the defence against Arsenal, it looked so bad,” he told The Dressing Room Podcast.

“There are no leaders. I would’ve kept Thiago [Silva] because if there’s anybody those centre-backs can learn from, he’s the best person for that to happen.

Silva bid an emotional farewell to Chelsea at the end of last season.

Silva spent four seasons in west London where he became a club legend and built a special connection with the supporters, and it’s believed he wanted to stay.

The Brazilian won the Champions League during his time at the club and the Blues didn’t replace his qualities either on or off the pitch last summer.

Chelsea have got a talented crop of centre backs with Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana seemingly Enzo Maresca’s first choice pairing, but a lack of leadership in the backline has been exposed on a number of occasions this season.

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Tosin Adarabioyo is the most experienced of the current crop, but he arrived on a free transfer and is very much a squad player.

Chelsea are looking to sign a centre back this summer and are said to be keen on brining Marc Guehi back to the club, and the 24-year-old would go someway to addressing the leadership and experience issues.