Joao Cancelo believes Chelsea's Thiago Silva is a better defender than Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol.

Gvardiol arrived at the Etihad Stadium last summer from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in a reported £77.6million deal. The Croatian has been a regular at left-back for Guardiola's team, making 39 appearances across all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions.

The 22-year-old has also demonstrated his goalscoring abilities in 2023/24 having netted twice during City's 4-0 thrashing over Fulham on Saturday. Gvardiol had a chance to become the first defender in Premier League history to score a hattrick but declined to take a penalty during the fixture at Craven Cottage.

However, despite Gvardiol's impressive performances for City this season, Barcelona's on-loan Man City defender Cancelo ranks Silva higher. In a video with Shoot For Love on YouTube, the Portuguese ranked Gvardiol in tenth place and Thiago Silva in first.

Silva has enjoyed a stellar career having won numerous trophies. The Brazilian has won the Champions League and Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge since arriving in west London from Paris Saint Germain in August 2020.

The 39-year-old will depart Chelsea this summer at the end of his contract. Silva will rejoin Brazilian club Fluminense after the Blues final game of the campaign on Sunday against Bournemouth.

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"Chelsea means a lot to me," he admitted in a heartfelt message to the fans. "I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too.

"My sons play for Chelsea so it is a source of great pride to be a part of the Chelsea family – literally because my sons are here. I hope they continue their careers here at this victorious club that many players wish to be part of.

"[It’s been a] dream, definitely a dream. Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could achieve such great things and win one of the best professional titles, the Champions League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Goodbyes are for those that leave and don’t come back. I intend on coming back one day..."