Why Chelsea must hold on to Willian amidst interest from Juventus
According to The Express, Juventus are keeping close tabs on Chelsea star Willian ahead of a potential January move.
Willian, 31, is currently in his sixth season with the Blues and has established himself as on the best wingers in Europe. The Corinthians youth product rose to fame during his time at Shakthar Donetsk and in 2013, he completed a £32m move to Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala.
He has won 5 major trophies in his 6 years at Stamford Bridge, including the two Premier League titles in 2015 and 2017. Since his arrival, Willian has been an integral member of Chelsea, having been in both the ups and downs of the club.
The Brazilian’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and is yet to renew his contract. With this in mind, Willian has attracted interest from Barcelona in the past and at the moment, Maurizio Sarri is keen on luring him to Italy.
With an overflow of academy graduates coming to the fore at Frank Lampard’s disposal, Willian struggled at the start of this season to claim his spot in the manager’s squad. But as the season kept going, the winger began to make an impact for the team.
In 16 league games this term, Willian has scored twice and assisted 3 times. He has also featured in all of the team’s Champions League fixtures and has been vital in their progress to the knockout stages.
At the moment, Lampard has three right-wingers at his disposal – Willian, Pedro, and Christian Pulisic. Pedro has fallen down the pecking order this season under the new manager, whereas Pulisic has been used on the left as a result of Calum Hudson-Odoi’s injury issues.
With Chelsea’s ban being lifted, the club must make sure that their star player stays at the club rather than signing someone else for that position. His presence would be helpful for the youngsters around him as he is one of the senior members of the squad.
In the past six years, Willian has developed into a renowned winger, who can take on defenders with ease. His moves have terrorized opponents and in the same way, his experience can play a big part in the transformation of the squad.
The 31-year-old has made 314 appearances for the Blues so far, which shows his quality of playing at the highest level for a long time. He has been a decisive player on many occasions for the Blues and it would only be beneficial if the board decides to reward him with a contract extension.
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Verdict
Losing Willian at this point would prove to be costly for Chelsea, whose attacks consist of only youngsters and no other experienced campaigner.
The Brazilian has got energy left in his tanks to propel his game for some more years and therefore, Chelsea must not lose the speedster.