According to multiple reports, Spanish juggernauts Barcelona are eyeing up a move for Chelsea’s Brazilian wide-man Willian. The 31-year-old has been linked to a move away from Stanford Bridge in each of the last four transfer windows, with Barcelona being consistently linked as potential suitors.
In fact, had Chelsea’s now-well documented transfer ban not come into effect, Willian might well have left the club already. But the fact that Chelsea are unable to source replacements for any outgoing player until the next summer window has necessitated his continued presence at Stanford Bridge.
But, with Willian out of contract at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, the Catalan giants could pick up the ex-Shaktar Donetsk man for nothing; it would be a sting in the tail of the ongoing transfer saga made all the more painful for Chelsea due to the fact that they rejected a bid in the region of £50-million less than a year ago.
At the time, many Chelsea fans saw this as ill-advised. Willian is not held in the highest regard by much of the Stanford Bridge faithful. Despite occasionally churning out fantastic performance, is a relatively inconsistent performer. However, if he was to play a bit-part role in Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona side, he could prove a sharp acquisition, especially on a free transfer.
Willian’s excellent technical ability as well as his adeptness in tricky interplay and ability to play any one of a number of positions in a forward-line make him a ‘Barcelona player’. He might be precisely what Los Cules need in order to add depth to their currently-unbalanced attacking contingent.
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