Paris Sant-Germain star Marquinhos has shot down talk he was close to joining Chelsea over the summer.

He hinted that Chelsea made an approach for him over the summer, but PSG rejected any prospect of the Brazilian moving away by shutting down talks.

The 27-year-old is an important cog in Mauricio Pochettino’s all-star PSG team, marshalling the defensive line while wearing the captain’s armband for the French giants.

European champions Chelsea, meanwhile, were on the lookout for a new centre-back this summer – with Marquinhos giving the impression that Thomas Tuchel’s side did enquire about him, an approach that was strongly rebuffed by PSG.

He told Le Parisien: “No! It wasn’t even an offer. In fact, the club blocked talks straight away. It shows the faith they have in me.

“It is an honour for a club like PSG to put such faith in me. The fact that others are interested in me means I am doing well.

“It gives me the motivation to go on, boost my training sessions and play even better. Paris and PSG are the only things on my mind.”