Manchester United have reportedly held initial discussions with Willian and his representatives over a possible move from Chelsea this summer.
According to a report by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are stepping up their pursuit of Willian. The Premier League runners-up have held informal talks with the Chelsea winger’s entourage to gauge the possibility of completing a deal for the Brazilian in the summer transfer window.
Willian has proven himself to be one of the most consistent performers for Chelsea since joining from Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer of 2013, although he has had to constantly fight for his place as a regular. The same had been prevalent over the course of the current season as he started the season as a bit-part player before becoming a regular fixture.
But, Willian was one of the few players who have performed well in an otherwise forgettable campaign for Chelsea, with 13 goals and 12 assists in 54 outings across all competitions. The Brazilian even won the club’s Player’s Player of the Year award this season, and is unsurprisingly attracting interest from a long-time suitor – Manchester United.
The Red Devils have been hot in pursuit of Willian pretty much since Jose Mourinho was appointed as their manager in 2016. Indeed, the player had been one of the go-to men for the Manchester United boss at Chelsea, and was even supportive of him during the turbulent days that led to his sacking in 2015.
In addition to the trust that he has in the 29-year-old, Mourinho also has a long-standing problem in his attack that he can address by signing the player. The Manchester United attack lacks a winger who can operate naturally from the right flank, with Juan Mata the only player who has been able to make an impact from the position.
But, the Spaniard is more productive when he drifts inwards to more central positions, while the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have struggled whenever deployed on the right flank. Willian is, thus, a viable target for Manchester United.
The Premier League runners-up are viewing the Brazil international as the ideal short-term solution before Tahith Chong eventually graduates into the first-team setup. But, Manchester United face a rather uphill task to tempt Willian to make the switch to Old Trafford, with the player previously insisting that he is happy at Chelsea.
They have, therefore, initiated talks with the player’s representatives to gauge if he’ll be open to a move. Manchester United will not have it easy persuading Chelsea to sell a key player to them for the second successive summer, although a possible swap deal including Anthony Martial has been mooted in recent weeks.
Mourinho has already hinted towards a possible move for a Brazilian this summer, and it could very well be Willian. The fact that he could miss Manchester United’s pre-season isn’t concerning the Portuguese either with the player an experienced Premier League campaigner, and it remains to be seen if they can swoop him away from Chelsea.
