Chelsea winger Willian has reportedly emerged as a late transfer target for French champions PSG, following an injury to Brazilian superstar Neymar.
As per a report from the Daily Mail, Chelsea superstar Willian is a subject of transfer interest from European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain on the winter transfer deadline day, in a surprise turn of events.
The reigning French Ligue 1 champions are in the market for a wide player, after it was confirmed that star man Neymar is set to be ruled out for close to ten weeks after he fractured his metatarsal earlier this month.
The Brazilian will not be undergoing any surgery, but is set to miss out some crucial games for Thomas Tuchel’s team, including both the legs of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 stages against Premier League bigwigs Manchester United.
This comes as a huge blow for PSG who have been prioritizing European glory for a number of years now. And in order to ensure that Neymar’s absence doesn’t hurt them too much over the second half of the season, the club have identified his compatriot Willian as a potential replacement.
Willian has been with Chelsea for over five years now, having arrived at the club back in the summer of 2013 from Anzhi Makhachkala. Since moving to London, the 30-year-old has won two Premier League titles along with a League Cup and an FA Cup trophy as well.
The Brazilian international is viewed as an important figure in the team by manager Maurizio Sarri. In the ongoing campaign, Willian has featured 36 times across all competitions, contributing with 7 goals and 6 assists in the process.
This is not the first time Willian has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the ongoing transfer window. Earlier this month, reports claimed that La Liga champions Barcelona had made a serious approach to sign the 63-time capped Brazilian international, but were rebuffed by Chelsea.
There had been murmurs of interest from the cash-rich Chinese Super League as well, with Dalian Yifang also understood to be keen on signing the former Shakhtar Donetsk man, who is valued at £40 million plus by Chelsea.
Willian has eighteen months left on his current contract with Chelsea and it is believed that the West London outfit are looking to further his stay at the club by offering a deal. The player too has expressed his desire to continue playing at the Stamford Bridge very recently.
As things stand, the 30-year-old is seen as a key member of this Chelsea side and it is extremely unlikely that PSG would succeed in their efforts to try and sign the winger. There could be some exits from the Bridge, however, with fringe players Danny Drinkwater and Gary Cahill likely to be on the move before the transfer window slams shut.
