Barcelona are reportedly preparing a late £20 million move for Chelsea star Willian, who is in the final few months of his contract with the Premier League outfit.

As per a report from Sky Sports, Barcelona are planning a last-minute raid on Premier League giants Chelsea as they look to sign Brazilian star Willian, with a £20 million offer in the works.

Willian is in the final six months of his contract with Chelsea and is able to negotiate with foreign clubs over a pre-contract agreement for a summer move. Negotiations over a new contract with the Premier League club haven’t progressed as planned, casting doubts over his future at the club.

And while Willian would be available on a free transfer at the end of the season, Barcelona are planning to avoid competition by swooping in for the Brazilian with an offer before Friday’s transfer deadline.

The Blaugrana have been long-time admirers of Willian, having had multiple offers rejected for the winger in the summer of 2018. They have, since, continued to monitor him, with recent reports claiming that the Brazilian international too would be open to a switch to Camp Nou.

Back on Barcelona's radar (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Back on Barcelona’s radar (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Barcelona are a bit lightweight in the attacking third after Luis Suarez was ruled out for four months due to a knee injury for which he had to undergo a surgery. This has forced manager Quique Setien to play Antoine Griezmann through the middle.

With Ousmane Dembele struggling with his own injuries and Carles Perez linked with an exit, Barcelona might need reinforcements in the final third as they look to retain their La Liga title amid pressure from arch rivals Real Madrid.

To that end, they have rekindled their interest in Willian, after having a €100 million bid for Everton’s Richarlison rejected. Willian signed for Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in a £30 million deal in 2013 and has tasted great success during his time at the club.

The 31-year-old has won two Premier League titles, a League Cup, an FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League trophy with the Blues, but it will be interesting to see how long he remains a Chelsea player.

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