Chelsea winger Willian, who is in the final year of his contract, is reportedly on the verge of signing a new two-year deal with the club.
According to a report from The Sun, Chelsea are set to hand Brazilian international Willian a new two-year contract, extending his stay at the club till the summer of 2021.
Willian arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2013, joining from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala and has been an integral part of the side ever since. Till date, the 30-year-old has made almost 300 appearances for the West London outfit, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the UEFA Europa League trophy this past season.
Willian is contracted with Chelsea till the summer of 2020 and will be entering the final twelve months of his contract at the end of this month. His situation had led to some degree of interest from La Liga champions Barcelona, as reports last month had claimed that the Catalans were lining up a £30 million summer move.
Considering that Chelsea have already lost Eden Hazard to Barcelona’s rivals Real Madrid in the ongoing transfer window, they could ill afford to let go of Willian as well, more so considering that they have been hit with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA that prohibits them from signing new players.
Chelsea’s initial appeal to overturn the ban was quashed down by football’s governing body, following which they have approached the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to get the ban lifted. Should that also fail, the Blues will be unable to strengthen their squad.
Given the situation, losing Willian, after having already seen Hazard leave, would have been devastating for Chelsea. And in order to avoid such a situation, the Blues have put forth a new two-year contract for the Brazilian international, with the report claiming that the winger has accepted the terms being offered.
It is the second instance of Chelsea doing away with their policy of handing just one-year extensions to players above 30, having tied down defensive mainstay and Willian’s compatriot David Luiz to a new two-year deal last month.
The 2018-19 saw Willian essay an important role under Maurizio Sarri, as he finished with a tally of 8 goals and 14 assists from 54 matches in all competitions. With Hazard having left the club, it is the right move by Chelsea to offer the experienced Brazilian a new contract, especially with the transfer ban in effect.
