Chelsea have reportedly rejected an offer of £50 million from Barcelona for their Brazilian winger Willian, who is a summer target for Manchester United.
Daily Mail have reported a development in the Willian transfer saga. Chelsea have reportedly rejected a £50 million bid from Barcelona for the Brazilian winger. The Blues though, will have to brace themselves for another bid, this time from Manchester United.
Willian has been linked with an exit from Chelsea for a while now. Despite not being one of the starters in the beginning of Antonio Conte’s Chelsea stint, Willian not only managed to reinstate his status of a regular but ended the 2017-18 campaign as a key player within the camp.
The Brazilian though, looks set to be on his way out, with Manchester United tipped to be his most likely destination this summer. Jose Mourinho needs to solve the lack of pace on the right wing. Juan Mata is the only attacker that has managed to produce good displays out on the right.
But, the Spaniard lacks pace and the ability to hug the touchline while putting in crosses in the box, which could see Romelu Lukaku excel. Manchester United have been linked to Willian for a while. The Brazilian was one of Mourinho’s trusted men at Chelsea and the Portuguese would want to bring in a player he trusts at United as well.
Manchester United though, could be in for a tough time in their mission to prise Willian away from Chelsea. According to the report, Chelsea have rebuffed an attempt from Barcelona for the Brazilian.
Barcelona had lodged a £50 million bid to Chelsea, who swiftly rejected the offer. This means that the Blues are ready to hold out for a fee more than what Barcelona has offered.
Barcelona themselves, might decide to return with an improved bid. The Catalans are shy of players in the attacking department. Should Ernesto Valverde decide to revert to a 4-3-3, Barcelona will be short of options in attack, especially with Ousmane Dembele being linked with a summer exit.
Willian though, can be useful even in a 4-4-2, with the Brazilian offering a more natural option on the right. Coutinho will then take his place on the left.
It will now be up to Manchester United and Jose Mourinho. They must decide whether they are ready to shell out in excess of £50 million for a 29-year-old winger. Willian’s lacklustre performance so far at the 2018 FIFA World Cup could also help make up Manchester United’s mind.
Whatever be the case, a move is in the offing for Willian. Barcelona, Manchester United or someplace else, Willian is unlikely to be a Chelsea player for long.
