Thiago Silva could also be 37 years previous now, however typically it's relatively exhausting to inform.
Week after week Silva places in commanding exhibits of marshalling Chelsea 's again line, serving to them to turn out to be European champions final season and, till final week, prime the Premier League desk.
A superb instance of his strengths got here of their current 4-0 residence victory over Italian royalty Juventus. Silva bullied opposition strikers and skim the sport majestically, earlier than capping off his efficiency with a showreel-perfect clearance off the road to disclaim Alvaro Morata a purpose on his return to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea definitely landed on their toes when buying Silva, and most impressively of all they did so for nothing.
This acquired Sportsmail considering, which different gamers stand among the many greatest free-agent signings in current soccer historical past?...
Robert Lewandowski - Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich, 2014
One of many many pillaging missions by Bayern on their lesser rivals, but the seize of Lewandowski undoubtedly harm probably the most.
Studies claimed that the entire course of prompted a lot friction with boss Jurgen Klopp throughout his time accountable for the Yellow Machine, with the German stated to be devastated that Lewandowski could be misplaced at such a pivotal time in his profession.
The Polish ace was quick turning into one of many world's greatest marksmen, and has undoubtedly lived as much as that billing ever since.
Lewandowski has remained at Bayern and made himself right into a dwelling legend on the membership.
Surpassing the dizzying goalscoring information set by Gerd Muller has solely served to intensify simply how ridiculously constant Lewandowski is. And he deserved to win this 12 months's Ballon d'Or, it doesn't matter what the ridiculous scoring system stated when awarding it to Lionel Messi.
When he performs, he nearly at all times scores. It is so simple as that. Not unhealthy for a participant who did not price a penny.
Andrea Pirlo - AC Milan to Juventus, 2011
No person may fairly consider it when Juve managed to prise Pirlo away from Milan, maybe even the membership themselves.
When free-agent offers happen it normally means the participant in query is both coming to the top of his taking part in days, or has had a dramatic downturn in type and so has not warranted a contract extension.
For Pirlo, neither of those have been the case.
The majestic midfielder was nonetheless among the many perfect on the planet when he referred to as it a day on the San Siro and opted to proceed his profession in Serie A with Juve.
Following his transfer to the Outdated Woman, goalkeeper and Italy team-mate Gianluigi Buffon stated: 'When Andrea advised me that he was becoming a member of us, the very first thing I assumed was: "God exists." A participant of his degree and skill, to not point out that he was free, I believe it was the signing of the century!'
Pirlo spent 4 seasons at Juventus, successful the Scudetto 4 consecutive instances and that includes in Champions League finals.
James Milner - Manchester Metropolis to Liverpool, 2016
Mr Reliable was by no means going to be a foul signing for Liverpool, but few followers would consider simply how constant and stable Milner would go on to be.
Arriving on Merseyside for the latter years of his profession, Milner would quickly present the soccer world precisely why it's so necessary to take care of your physique and retain peak bodily health always.
With a wealth of expertise below his belt, Milner took on the function because the facet's vice-captain and devoted penalty-taker, earlier than the arrival of a sure Mohamed Salah.
Now in his mid-thirties, Milner has proven little indicators of slowing. He nonetheless recurrently options in a wide range of positions, relying upon the place Jurgen Klopp wants him most.
The consummate skilled, Milner has been rewarded for his change to Anfield with each Champions League and Premier League title honours.
He additionally turned the primary participant in Champions League historical past to register 9 assists in a single season in 2017-18 - when he was supposedly treading water within the twilight of his profession.
Some gamers are simply constructed completely different, with a working example proper right here.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester United, 2016
A signing which acquired many individuals very excited certainly.
The prospect of Jose Mourinho as United supervisor in the end - and with Ibrahimovic as his talisman - was simply too good to withstand.
What made all of it the higher for Pink Devils followers was the actual fact the mercurial Swede was arriving at no cost.
Doubters and sceptics across the globe have been quietly determined for Ibrahimovic, then 34, to fail. For the brash, egotistical ahead to be put in his place and fail to transform within the Premier League the best way he had completed so simply within the lesser commonplace of French soccer.
Alas for them, it was to not pan out this fashion.
Ibrahimovic dramatically netted the winner for the United within the 2016 Group Protect to open his account, and went on to attain 17 targets within the Premier League.
Regardless of his getting old years Ibrahimovic appeared like a pure in elite-level English soccer. He belonged there, and rival defenders have been having a torrid time in coping with him.
A knee damage picked up within the latter finish of the season prompted him to overlook nearly the entire 2017-18 marketing campaign, and he finally departed Outdated Trafford for LA Galaxy in 2018 after the funds of the transfer now not made sense.
Who is aware of... with out the damage, Ibrahimovic may doubtless nonetheless be carrying the well-known purple shirt now, as an alternative of the purple and black of AC Milan.
Paul Pogba - Manchester United to Juventus, 2012
Maybe a disclaimer is required right here; probably the most spectacular factor of Juventus taking up Pogba as a free agent was the best way by which they developed him and primed the midfielder for an enormous sell-on deal.
It is relatively not like Juve. Taking a participant for nothing earlier than cultivating them to promote on. It's extremely a lot one thing a Borussia Dortmund or a Sevilla would possibly do.
But after grabbing Pogba from United in 2012 - with a big serving to hand from mischievous agent Mino Raiola - that is precisely what Juve did.
The France worldwide left Outdated Trafford after failing to impress Sir Alex Ferguson, transferring to Turin the place he finally grew to excel, taking part in alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. Pogba honed his abilities within the centre of the park and have become completed in lots of aspects of the sport.
It was years later, after Juve had scooped 4 league titles and two Supercoppa Italia trophies with Pogba that they bought him - again to United - for a then fairly unbelievable world-record price of £89million. Not too shabby, particularly given he has didn't reside as much as that price ticket since.
Sol Campbell - Tottenham to Arsenal, 2001
A really, very controversial one. Virtually unsurpassed in animosity, actually.
Spurs followers haven't and won't ever forgive Campbell for crossing the north London divide, but it surely's unlikely he'll care.
Transferring to Highbury to turn out to be the bedrock of Arsene Wenger's defence, Campbell rocketed into among the finest on the planet in his place.
It was a show of unbelievable enterprise acumen from the Gunners to herald a participant of such calibre for nothing and his signing was instrumental to creating them among the finest's sides on the continent.
Campbell spent 5 years at Arsenal the place he received two Premier League titles, one among which within the epic Invincibles season, incomes him legend standing.
Steve McManaman - Liverpool to Actual Madrid, 1997
The floppy-haired winger emerged so rapidly in English soccer that the giants of LaLiga began circling nearly instantly.
There was to be a twist nonetheless, as soon as McManaman had determined he wished to make the change to Spain.
The winger had initially made an settlement to hitch Barcelona in a £12m transfer in 1997, however the deal fell aside and, with the midfielder heading in direction of the top of his contract with Liverpool, the Reds couldn't compete with the monetary lure of different golf equipment.
McManaman signed a pre-contract to hitch Actual Madrid in 1999 when there have been nonetheless 5 months left on his deal at Anfield, and he went on to turn out to be the primary English participant to win the Champions League with a overseas membership, scoring within the 2000 closing with an excellent volley.
He would go on to develop in stature at Madrid alongside a few of the most well-known names within the video games, earlier than repeating his Champions League exploits once more two years later together with his second European closing victory.
Michael Ballack - Bayern Munich to Chelsea, 2006
A midfield normal via and thru. After operating down his deal in Germany it's no exaggeration to say all of Europe was queuing up for Ballack.
He stood proudly as a three-time Bundesliga winner at Bayern, and was named German Footballer of the 12 months for 3 straight seasons.
Presents have been coming in left, proper and centre. However it was the rising mission at Chelsea below the rulership of Roman Abramovich which him most.
Over the subsequent 4 years at Chelsea, Ballack loved a trophy-laden time at Stamford Bridge, successful two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and the League Cup, in addition to that includes within the Champions League closing facet who narrowly misplaced out to Manchester United in Moscow.
Jay Jay Okocha - Paris Saint-Germain to Bolton, 2002
The Nigerian maestro made his identify on the continent with majestic dribbling and footwork which defied perception.
So, when he swapped the French capital for Bolton in north west England, just a few eyebrows have been raised.
Years prior PSG had paid Eintracht Frankfurt £10m for his providers and in doing so made Okocha the costliest Nigerian footballer of all time.
So, when Bolton and Huge Sam Allardyce pulled off the free-agent signing, it seemed to be fairly the coup.
Then the person 'so good they named him twice' began to play. And play he definitely may.
Okocha set the Premier League alight with the Wanderers, and helped propel the plucky underdogs into European soccer and common top-half competition.
Cafu - Roma to AC Milan, 2003
Cafu arrived at AC Milan on a free switch in 2003 and was very a lot within the latter levels of his profession, however that did not matter.
The steam-train of a full-back had starred for the likes of Roma and Sao Paulo and turn out to be famend for reinventing the full-back place.
In addition to successful two World Cups with Brazil, Cafu had a stack of honours which he would quickly add to with Milan.
The Brazilian joined throughout a interval when Milan have been busy buying fairly actually the most effective footballers on the planet, throughout all positions, together with Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf and Nesta.
He featured as a part of the formidable Milan beginning XI which have been someway overturned by Liverpool in Istanbul, earlier than getting revenge two years later in Athens.
Honourable mentions
Luis Enrique - Actual Madrid to Barcelona, 1996
Henrik Larsson - Celtic to Barcelona, 2004
Leon Goretzka - Schalke to Bayern Munich, 2018
Lionel Messi - Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, 2021
Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain, 2021
