Angelo Gabriel has revealed Thiago Silva is an idol to him and that his fellow Brazilian was part of the reason he joined Chelsea.
The 19-year-old joined the Blues from Brazilian side Santos last summer and after making a good impression in pre-season he was loaned to sister club Strasbourg in France.
Angelo is one of a number players the Blues have signed from South America and they have really targeted that market under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership.
Angelo on why he joined Chelsea
The winger made 25 appearances last season for the Ligue 1 outfit, making four assists but he failed to find the back of the net and missed the back of the campaign through injury.
The former Santos man returned to Chelsea this summer and is currently on the pre-season tour of America, with the Blues seemingly yet to decide if he will go on loan again.
Angelo has featured in both of Chelsea’s games so far against Wrexham and Celtic and will be hoping for further opportunities against Club America and Manchester City this week.
The Brazilian has taken time out of the busy tour to talk about his move to Chelsea, how Silva is an idol and his friendship with fellow Blue Andrey Santos.
“After a few games at Santos, I became aware Chelsea were interested and then Andrey and I spoke about the club, what it was like, the structure and I was happy and liked the sound of it,” he told Chelsea’s website.
“So, I accepted the offer because it’s a big club, a club of your dreams, a club that plays in the best league in the world, a club with massive history.
“And then, of course, Thiago being here, we aspire to be like him.
“He is an idol to us and our country. He is a reference point. It was also a dream to be able to play with him, learn from him. Setting aside the club’s history and greatness, we are happy to be at this club that has offered us all the support we need to do what we love, which is play football.”
The Blues are believed to be in the market for a winger, but if Angelo can impress on the remainder of the tour there’s a possibility he could be given a chance next season.
