(Yes. You read that sentence right.)
But the unanimous joy that greeted a deal announced in the first few days of 2022 should not be forgotten.
Marina Granovskaia sat aside Thiago Silva as he penned a contract extension to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2023. With so much uncertainty surrounding Chelsea's defence with contracts running down, this deal alleviated a lot of stress.
After PSG opted not to renew his contract, Silva signed from Ligue 1 in the summer of 2020 and has proved to be one of Chelsea's best value additions in the past decade.
As That Chelsea Podcast host, Nick Williams so perfectly put it, "If you can get down to Stamford Bridge this season, just being able to watch Silva play football is worth the price of admission."
He is a defensive titan but accomplishes his work with such subtlety and precision it is hard to believe he has ever broken a sweat.
What makes his performances all the more outstanding is he turned 37 in September and doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Silva is rewriting the rulebook of what we expect from defenders at his age. Particularly those who come from a foreign league where the pace of competition can sometimes be slower than England's top tier.
Tuchel spoke in detail after Siva's contract extension about how valuable he is to the squad and the high levels of excellence he is reaching beyond expectation.
He's like Benjamin Button. Thiago Button, the footballer!" joked Tuchel.
"But I know how much work and professional attitude is behind that. It is a miracle, in a way, because he came to this league with the schedule and the approach and the intensity on a daily basis at the very end of his career, which was very brave.
'I know how much effort he puts in to stay fit and how much effort he puts in off the pitch at home taking care of his recovery, his sleep and his nutrition. It is simply outstanding, and only because of that it's possible."
Silva's influence on his defensive peers, particular youngsters like Trevoh Chalobah, is probably immeasurable.
For all the money that could be spent on a fresh face like Jules Kounde, it's probably impossible to replace the intangible effect around Chelsea that Silva likely provides.
