Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has dismissed reports that Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is weighing up a possible move to Napoli.

A radio producer claimed that he had it on good authority that Silva had asked teammate Jorginho about Naples but Di Marzio dismissed the story. He stated that the Italian club wouldn’t sign a 37-year-old and that they couldn’t afford to pay the Brazilian’s wages:

“Thiago Silva to Napoli? Knowing certain mechanisms within the [Serie A] club, I would rule it out. Usually, the president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis does not take players of a certain age. It would seem strange even considering the limits of salary given that the Brazilian does not take little [salary].”

It does look as though a radio programme in Italy was simply trying to generate some publicity by making some unsubstantiated claims about Silva, and Di Marzio quickly nipped the story in the bud.

With Chelsea having extended the Brazilian international’s contract for another year and, with the player still playing better than ever, it’s highly unlikely that the centre-back would be considering a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer. Of course, things could change but we fully expect to see the veteran defender start next season with the Blues.