Willian Admits Chelsea Contract Renewal Is 'Unlikely' After Breakdown in Negotiations
By Tom Gott
Chelsea winger Willian has suggested that his time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to an end, admitting that the chances of him signing a new contract are slim.
The 31-year-old's current deal will expire at the end of the season, and despite several public appeals from manager Frank Lampard, the two sides have failed to reach an agreement over fresh terms.
Willian pushed for a three-year contract, but Chelsea only offered two years, and this impasse saw negotiations halted completely. Now, the winger has revealed to Fox Sports that it doesn't look like those talks will ever be resumed.
"I've built something fantastic at Chelsea," he said. "I'm especially fond of the fans and the people that work there, and I've felt very settled.
"Everyone knows my contract is up in a few months and it looks like it'll be difficult to secure an extension. I think it's unlikely that I'll renew because Chelsea offered me a two-year deal, I asked for three and it ended there.
"There were no more talks or negotiations. Chelsea said that three years would be impossible, so at the moment it seems unlikely that I'll extend, but nothing is impossible. We don't know what might happen. We might suddenly reach an agreement, but what I can say today is that my contract is up and I'll be free to negotiate with any club."
Who would take the free-kicks, Willian or Lampard?
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The Blues are known for only offering one-year deals to anyone over the age of 30, so to break that policy and offer two years to Willian certainly seems like a mark of respect towards him, but even that has not been good enough to convince him to stay.
The winger will have no shortage of offers this summer when he hits the free market. A source has confirmed to 90min that Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for Willian, but Arsenal are also keen to take advantage of his desire to stay in London.
Mundo Deportivo (via the Daily Mail) believe that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are the two likeliest landing spots for Willian, despite his clear desire to remain in England, with a move to Barcelona even tipped to facilitate Philippe Coutinho's move to Stamford Bridge.
"There's been plenty of speculation in recent months, but there's not been anything concrete," Willian revealed. "The last negotiations that I had were with Chelsea. The only offer for me from Barcelona was in 2018 after the World Cup. Chelsea didn't accept that year as they didn't want to sell me.
"It's just speculation and it's nothing concrete, as is often the case."