Willian Happy to Sign New Chelsea Contract 'Tomorrow' if Demands Are Met

Brazilian winger Willian has insisted that he would not hesitate to put pen to paper on a new contract with Chelsea, but only if his demands of a three-year deal are met.

The 31-year-old's current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and Chelsea have already made an attempt to tie him down to fresh terms. They went against their usual policy to offer Willian a two-year extension, but he has made no secret of his desire for a third year as well.

Speaking to De Sola's Alê Responde, Willian insisted that Chelsea are still holding off on meeting his demands, and he fired a warning to the Blues' officials that he is ready to stand firm on his search for three years.

“I already had a conversation with the club a few months ago, even before this break," he said. "Chelsea only offer me two years and I asked for three. My goal in the next contract is to sign for three years. So I haven’t had a deal with Chelsea yet.

“This is what I asked the club for, three years of contract. If you give me that, I’ll get the pen and sign the contract tomorrow.”

Talks have hit a major hurdle and have shown no signs of getting back on track, prompting links between Willian and rivals like Arsenal.

“There are rumours about several teams that may be interested," he continued. "For the time being, I have had no concrete proposal. But rumours always arise. I’m waiting. My agent hasn’t given me any news yet. I’m waiting for his call.”

Chelsea fans are divided in their opinions of Willian. Many see him as an ageing player with relatively poor goalscoring statistics for a forward, while others appreciate his work rate and what he brings to the team away from the field.

One of his toughest periods at Stamford Bridge came between 2016 and 2018 under Antonio Conte. The winger famously edited Conte out of a picture celebrating the 2018 FA Cup final victory, and the pair's relationship has long been rumoured to have been in tatters.

“Look, with all the managers I had, I learned," Willian began. "We always learn, regardless of the situation. I already said a few times, I don’t like to keep repeating so as not to create controversy. But I was champion with him, I learned some things from him, but I had difficulty with him… it was Antonio Conte. I believe other players too.

“Not the way he was managing. Nowadays the coach has to be a manager too, he has to understand the player’s side as a person and as a professional. You have to understand that one player is not the same as another. So he didn’t have that understanding and so he ended up having a little difficulty. But that was basically it.”

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