Spurs turn out to be the favourites to sign Chelsea ace Willian.
Image source: transfermarkt.com
According to Football Insider, Chelsea ace Willian has set his sights on joining Tottenham once he sees out his contract at the end of the season. The Brazilain has been involved in a flurry of transfer talks as his current deal with the Blues – extended due to Pandemic – will expire at the end of the season. Earlier it was reported that the Blues are considering offering a new deal for the 31-year-old due to his impressive performances this term. Spurs have emerged as the latest club to show a strong interest in the Brazilian by offering a lucrative deal. Tottenham’s rivals Arsenal are also understood to be keeping a close eye on the soon-to-become free agent.
Despite entering his 30’s, Willian tends to have a good season for the Blues this term, which saw Frank Lampard handing him a lot of starts on the field. Inheriting the shirt number 10 from his former colleague Eden Hazard, Willian has been impressive in terms of the output – 11 goals and 9 assists in all competitions. The former Shakhtar man has also been outstanding since the Premier League resumed – a return of 4 goals and 2 assists – indicating that he is in good shape. Lampard also praised Willian’s influential display against Crystal Palace in a tight contest which saw the Blues pick up a crucial win.
Spurs’ interest in Willian can’t be considered as a stretch given that Jose Mourinho is a long-time admirer of the Brazilian since his time at the Stamford Bridge. In parallel, Willian has also made no secret about playing under his old boss.
“Nothing arrived from Mourinho, but we do have a good relationship, he’s a big friend of mine.”
“We speak to each other sometimes but when it comes to that (speaking about transfers) he respects me a lot.”
Willian also spoke about the possibilities of playing in the English top-flight or with another London club should he leave the Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho is also expected to be active in the upcoming transfer after witnessing a lacklustre start to his managerial return. The Portuguese manager didn’t have the luxury to go all out in the winter transfer window -minus the singings like Steven Bergwijn – but can revamp his squad ahead of next season. He recently stated that he is less likely going to make attacking reinforcements this summer.
“Our attacking players are very good. We cannot get better players than what we have. One thing is not scoring goals and the other is that the players are not good enough.”
“They are good enough. I don’t want to replace my players.”
Willian could be a productive signing and given that he shares a healthy relationship with Mourinho and also comes at a free expense. Adding to that he is in good goal scoring form as of now, which the Portuguese gaffer can highly benefit from if he managers to convince the former to join the Spurs.
Spurs’ possibilities to secure the Champions League qualification are hanging in the balance – despite the 2-1 win in the North London derby – as they are currently eighth in the table.
