Willian, who continues to remain a target for Barcelona, could be made available for £30 million by Premier League giants Chelsea this summer.
If the report by Daily Express is to be believed, Frank Lampard will consider the idea of offloading Willian once he returns to first-team training. The Brazilian international is the subject of interest from Barcelona, who are keen on signing him in a £30 million deal.
Willian has been a mercurial figure for Chelsea ever since he made his way to Stamford Bridge from Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer of 2013 in a £30 million deal. Over the six years that he has spent with the Blues, the Brazilian winger has been a hit and miss player, with the high points coming in the 2015-16 season, when he was named the club’s Player of the Year.
In nearly 300 appearances for the Premier League giants, the 30-year-old has accumulated a return of 52 goals and 53 assists. And, while it was recently reported that he could be set to receive a new two-year deal from Chelsea, the player’s future at the West London club is a bit uncertain, amid continued interest from Barcelona.
The La Liga champions had been keen on signing the experienced winger last summer as well before they ended up signing Malcom. But, Barcelona’s interest in Willian does not seem to have faded, with reports claiming that the Catalans were lining up a £30 million summer move for him.
The same has been confirmed by The Express, who suggest that Barcelona are looking to snap him up in a £30 million deal, although the continued interest comes as a bit of a surprise. Having signed Antoine Griezmann, and with a deal for Neymar reportedly in the works, Barcelona seem to already have plenty of attacking calibre.
Nevertheless, Willian could add a bit of flair to the side, if he makes his way from Chelsea. But, while the Premier League giants could make him available for £30 million, the report claims that Frank Lampard will take a call on his future once he sees the player in action next week upon the Blues’ and Willian’s return to Cobham.
But, having already sold Eden Hazard to Real Madrid this summer, Chelsea can ill afford losing another wide man despite the arrival of Christian Pulisic. Keeping Willian away from the prying hands of Barcelona would thus, be the right move for the West Londoners to make amid a transfer ban.
The ban has also impacted their policy of only handing one-year deals to players aged over 30, as was seen in David Luiz’s case. And, the same could be true when it comes to Willian, who could sign a two-year contract of his own with the Premier League giants instead of making his way to Barcelona, although it remains to be seen what transpires in the coming week.
