According to ‘Marca’, the 33-year-old, who played in the 4-1 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid last week, will join up with former boss Jose Mourinho in West London on a free, with his contract to expire this summer.
Signed in 2004, Tiago was one of Mourinho first ever signings as Chelsea manager during his initial spell at the club. The midfielder went on to play a key role for the Blues as they won their first ever Premier League title, with his long-range goal against Manchester United still fondly remembered by the Blues faithful.
His return will mark the start of a fascinating transfer window for Chelsea, with a major reshuffle immient at Stamford Bridge. Defender David Luiz is expected to complete his big-money move to PSG within the week, while Tiago’s Atletico teammate Diego Costa is strongly linked with a move to follow him to West London.
While Tiago is firm fan favourite, and no doubt his old Chelsea song will receive plenty of air-time next season, the midfielder will surely only be part of the extended squad rather than a solid starter.
With Ramires and Nemanja Matic to be already ahead of him in the pecking order at the club, and Mourinho expected to buy one more creative outlet to subsidise the potential loss of legend Frank Lampard, Tiago will take up the role of useful squad player, but his experience gleaned from a career stretching from Juventus to Benfica could be very useful for the Blues, as they looked to launch an assault on the top prizes in club football.
Written by Steve Milne
