Thiago Silva claims he feels proud for being an inspiration to Chelsea players who have variously expressed their joy to learn from the Brazilian.

The veteran defender joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in the summer.

The Blues currently have the second-best defensive record in the league, aided by a blossoming partnership between the Brazilian and Kurt Zouma at centre-back, though it is not just the Frenchman learning from the new arrival.

“I feel proud because they’re young players who see you as an inspiration and want to follow in your footsteps,” he added.

“This happened at PSG with Thilo [Kehrer], [Pascal] Kimpembe and Marquinhos. It’s happening here with Zouma and I think it’s the case for others as well.

“It means I have more responsibility and I have to give my all so that they keep seeing me as an inspiration. So it’s a source of pride but also a big responsibility.”

Legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has advised Mikel Arteta he must support Mesut Ozil to get the best out of him and insisted the midfielder is not hard to manage.

Attacking midfielder Ozil was left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads for the first half of the campaign despite earning a whopping £350,000 a week.

Arsenal have been struggling in Ozil’s absence and sit 15th in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s clash against Burnley.

Wenger, who spent five years working with Ozil at Arsenal after bringing him to the club, has told Arteta how he can get the German playmaker firing ahead of his possible re-inclusion to the squad in February, report the Mail.

Speaking to ESPN’s Caught Offside podcast, the 71-year-old said: “He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun.

“He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive. They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best.

“You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same – the same intensity of work, the same defensive work – or you find a compromise.

“You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies. That is what you have to think about.’

Arsenal had appeared to be moving in the right direction under Arteta but a string of disappointing results has seen them slip closer to the relegation zone than the top six.

Arsenal have noticeably struggled for creativity, scoring just 10 goals – only more than West Brom, Burnley and Sheffield United.

It has led to speculation that Arteta could recall Ozil when he re-submits his squad after the January transfer window.

Ozil, whose deal expires in the summer, is keen to stay and fight for his place in the team in the second half of the season but Arsenal may reportedly look to push him out the door, according to ESPN as per The Daily Express.

The 32-year-old has interest from Turkish side Fenerbahce, and DC United, La Galaxy and Inter Miami in the MLS.

Victor Osimhen has denied the report that he won’t be available for selection for Napoli for the rest of the year as a result of his injury.

The striker dislocated his shoulder on international duty for Nigeria and has been out of action for over a month now.

Il Mattino newspaper claims Victor Osimhen is out until 2021 with a shoulder injury, but sources close to the player told Football Italia he will play in December.

According to the Italian newspaper, the striker is continuing to feel pain and has some problems moving his shoulder.

The report suggested it’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to take part in games until January 2021, which would mean missing four Serie A fixtures.

However, Football Italia contacted Nigerian reporter and friend Oma Akatugba, who spoke directly with Osimhen.

“I spoke with him now and he says he is fine and should feature in a game before the end of the year.”