Robin van Persie says Chelsea had two of the best defenders he’s ever faced

Two of them played for Chelsea, and it is not a shock to hear that Van Persie admired these two individuals.

Robin van Persie names John Terry and Thiago Silva as two of his toughest opponents

John Terry is one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, while Thiago Silva had a very successful spell at Chelsea in this late stage of his career.

Unlike Terry, Silva never got his hands on the Premier League title, but he was able to win the Champions League. Two greats acknowledged by another great in his position.

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When asked was there an opponent he particularly admired and respected, Van Persie told Flashscore: “The hardest opponents were John Terry, Thiago Silva, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.”

Today, Chelsea have some good centre-backs, but none of them can be compared to the likes of Terry and Silva. This season, Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix and Wesley Fofana have lined up in a back three for the Blues.

It is yet to click, with Chelsea conceding 12 goals in the Premier League so far, the most in the division. Lacroix joined from Crystal Palace in the summer, and supporters have not quite seen the best of him just yet.

Lacroix was recently criticised for his performance in France’s 4-1 win over Belgium, so there is room for improvement at both club and international level. As for Colwill and Fofana, they were not even called up to their national teams.

Chelsea could sign a new central defender in 2027. It is thought that Chelsea have been scouting Benfica’s Tomas Araujo. But given the number of goals they have been conceding, their defensive woes are undeniably stemming from a structural issue and not just poor individual defending, even if we have seen that at times.

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