Tottenham are reportedly plotting a raid on London rivals Chelsea for Brazilian winger Willian, who will be out of contract at the end of the season.
As per a report from the Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation of Chelsea superstar Willian, whose contract will expire in the summer, as they hope to sign the Brazilian on a free transfer.
Willian is in the final few months of his deal with Chelsea and is free to negotiate with clubs from abroad over a pre-contract agreement for a summer transfer. There has been significant interest in the 31-year-old’s services with the report claiming that the likes of AC Milan, Juventus and La Liga champions Barcelona.
And now, Tottenham have also emerged as a potential suitor for the Brazilian international. It is a well-known fact that Tottenham had tried to sign Willian back in 2013 from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala, but were beaten to the punch by Chelsea, who swooped in late to snap up the Brazilian.
And Tottenham are plotting a revenge now by planning to sign the winger on a free transfer when his contract expires. Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer of Willian and would definitely want to add him to his ranks should an opportunity present itself, especially on a free transfer.
Since joining Chelsea, Willian has racked up over 300 appearances for the club scoring 57 goals and set up 58 more, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the UEFA Europa League trophy. The 31-year-old has started the 2019-20 campaign well, scoring and assisting five goals apiece in 27 matches in all competitions.
Chelsea do not want to lose Willian and are believed to have tabled a new one-year contract worth around £110,000-a-week. However, the Brazilian is understood to be seeking higher wages and two-year length on his deal, which is holding up the progress in negotiations.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is keen on holding on to Willian. As per the report, he has insisted that the club break their pattern of offering one-year contracts for players over the age of thirty to ensure that the Brazilian stays put at Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Willian. There is still time for Chelsea to negotiate new terms with the 31-year-old, but if they are unable to convince him to stay, it will be interesting to see if Tottenham do make an attempt to sign him up on a free transfer.
