Willian

[Vesper 27,509]

10 minutes ago, Alabama said:

We dont need...Thanks to Willian for all he has done but we have to love on....Havertz coming in hopefully will finally squash this extending Willian of a thing...

yes but if we do not get Havertz and Willian leaves, we are down to 3 wingers, one of whom is brand new and also may play at AMF, and another who I think is pretty poor atm (CHO), 

RLC and Mount are out of position at winger.

Once Havertz (IF Havertz) comes, then fine, Willian can jog on

[killer1257 3,282]

Puli, CHO, Ziyech and if necessary Werner as winger should be enough. Havertz second best position is RW after false 9.

 

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[Jase 43,479]

52 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

Puli, CHO, Ziyech and if necessary Werner as winger should be enough. Havertz second best position is RW after false 9.

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But but Lampard loves Willian...A LOT. 

[killer1257 3,282]

But but Lampard loves Willian...A LOT. 

I don't think Marina loves him that much ^^

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[Magic Lamps 11,499]

5 hours ago, killer1257 said:

I don't think Marina loves him that much ^^

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she loves him enough not to have sold him to Barca in 2017 for 65m -.-

[NikkiCFC 7,662]

On 09/07/2020 at 6:16 AM, Vesper said:

he is a fucking weasel if he wont take the 2 years

Willian still wants a three-year deal, Chelsea don’t want to give him one. Situation unchanged. 

@TheAthleticUK

Welcome Benrahma? 

[Tomo 21,685]

Absolutely we should go our separate ways this summer.

His current form and what we have left to play for gives us the perfect chance to part on a high.

[Blues11 213]

Really think Puli and him have great chemistry at the moment. They seem to enjoy playing together and it shows on how willing they are to pass from wing to wing. 
 

This might be it but if Chelsea can resign Willian to a reasonable contract I think he would fit in well with the new signings. 

[Vesper 27,509]

A three-year deal or let him go? The Willian debate

https://theathletic.com/1918898/2020/07/10/willian-chelsea-arsenal-tottenham-lampard/

It is an issue which has Chelsea fans divided: should the club do everything they can to keep Willian on a new contract?

Since the season’s restart on June 17, there have been few Premier League players in better form. Indeed, after two assists in the 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Willian was tied with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes for most goal involvements (either scoring or assisting) on six.

For the first time since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30 million in 2013, he has either found the net or created a chance that a team-mate successfully finished off in four consecutive league fixtures.

In other words, at 31, the Brazilian is not showing any signs of decline. So why would Chelsea let him walk away as a free agent, especially with the strong possibility he will join one of their London rivals in either Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur?

As has been well documented, it has not been for a lack of trying. Chelsea proposed a two-year deal — an indication of their esteem, given their general policy (which they’ve only broken once) of giving just 12-month extensions to players over 30. But the winger rejected it because he wants a three-year commitment.

The only thing they have been able to agree to so far is Willian signing a short-term extension to see out the current campaign — and what a vital bit of business that is proving to be.

Head coach Frank Lampard suggested at the beginning of July that the two parties remain in talks. “I haven’t given up hope on it,” he said. “The club is still in discussions with him. In the short term, we can see what he’s doing for us. It’s ongoing.”

However, sources close to the player have told The Athletic that the only negotiations which have taken place in recent months were those regarding seeing out the rest of 2019-20. As far as they are concerned, nothing has changed. Willian still wants a three-year contract and that hasn’t been forthcoming.

So, barring a miracle comeback from 3-0 down in their Champions League last-16 decider away to Bayern Munich, Willian’s seven-year love affair with Chelsea will be over in less than a month.

How do supporters feel about this? The Athletic put it to a vote and more than 12,000 people responded in the space of just 24 hours to let their feelings be known on the matter.

These results can be determined in two ways, depending on your side of the argument. On the positive side, nearly three quarters (73.7%) of the voters want Willian to remain at the club in some shape or form. Quite a mandate in his favour.

On the other hand, the only option which meets Willian’s demands and ensures he stays — the three-year contract — attracted the least amount of backing, while over a quarter will be happy to cut ties with him for good.

Many of those who participated left comments too, explaining that while Willian has been a very good player for the club, his current form shouldn’t affect the club’s decision this summer.

It is understood Said Benrahma, a winger who is helping west London neighbours Brentford’s Championship promotion challenge, is another transfer target being considered at the moment, to go along with Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Declan Rice. Clearly, the 24-year-old Algeria international would be a direct replacement for Willian.

Other fans explain that Chelsea could benefit financially from a multi-year agreement because it would allow them to sell Willian, just as happened with his compatriot David Luiz last summer when he joined Arsenal for £8 million only three months after announcing a two-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Some feel uncomfortable with him potentially joining a direct rival for free, especially when there is no guarantee that new signings would come in and hit the ground running.

Chelsea certainly have other positions that need looking at more urgently than Willian’s. There is only so much money to buy them with, too, after £80 million of the budget went on acquiring Ziyech and Timo Werner. Why use up around £25 million on Benrahma, who has never played at such a high level, when you can keep using someone Lampard trusts (albeit who will cost a lot more in wages and signing-on fee)?

A look at Willian’s contribution over the years shows very respectable, if not outstanding, numbers. This season is his best goalscoring return in the Premier League with nine, although three of those have been penalties. Overall, he has 11 goals and nine assists from 43 appearances, which nearly averages out as a goal or an assist every two matches. Not bad at all.

When compared to the numbers that cover his entire Chelsea career of 339 appearances, 63 goals and 65 assists, it shows he is performing well above his total average. However, to put it in some perspective, Eden Hazard left for Real Madrid last year with a record of 352 appearances, 110 goals and 92 assists.

One should also point out that the timing of the contribution and the calibre of opposition aren’t taken into account with these kind of statistics. What made Hazard so extraordinary was he came to the fore so often when it mattered most. Willian? Not so much.

But another positive in Willian’s column is how consistently he is available for selection. He hasn’t suffered any major injury issues during his tenure. The fewest number of games he has featured in during a season was under Antonio Conte in 2016-17, when he played 41 times.

The following year he bounced back with 55 appearances and a best return (so far) of 13 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. He backed that up under Maurizio Sarri last season with a Chelsea career high of 56 games, contributing eight goals and 14 assists.

Lampard’s appreciation of him is clear. The only league game he has not featured in was the opening fixture at Manchester United. That ranks him second in the squad, with Mason Mount the proud owner of a 100 per cent attendance on the register.

The Chelsea head coach knows what it’s like to be released by the club, having been let go himself in 2014. But unlike Willian, he was nearing the end of his career at the time with his 36th birthday a fortnight away. You get the impression he wants the situation resolved in a way that sees him keep the former Shakhtar Donetsk star.

As Lampard said recently: “We want him to stay at the club. But I also appreciate the fact that this contract is a big deal for him because of his age and where he’s at. I’ve been there myself and I respect that. But the way he’s playing at the minute shows his worth to the squad and the group and it’s something that I hope we can get to.

“Willian been a great servant to the club and if we can get it done, I will be happy. If not, I will certainly wish him well because I’ve got a lot of time for him as a player.”

A reunion with Luiz across town at the Emirates Stadium seems the most likely scenario right now but, no matter what happens, Chelsea’s following will not share the same opinion on it.

[King Kante 1,341]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

A three-year deal or let him go? The Willian debate

https://theathletic.com/1918898/2020/07/10/willian-chelsea-arsenal-tottenham-lampard/

It is an issue which has Chelsea fans divided: should the club do everything they can to keep Willian on a new contract?

Since the season’s restart on June 17, there have been few Premier League players in better form. Indeed, after two assists in the 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Willian was tied with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes for most goal involvements (either scoring or assisting) on six.

For the first time since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30 million in 2013, he has either found the net or created a chance that a team-mate successfully finished off in four consecutive league fixtures.

In other words, at 31, the Brazilian is not showing any signs of decline. So why would Chelsea let him walk away as a free agent, especially with the strong possibility he will join one of their London rivals in either Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur?

As has been well documented, it has not been for a lack of trying. Chelsea proposed a two-year deal — an indication of their esteem, given their general policy (which they’ve only broken once) of giving just 12-month extensions to players over 30. But the winger rejected it because he wants a three-year commitment.

The only thing they have been able to agree to so far is Willian signing a short-term extension to see out the current campaign — and what a vital bit of business that is proving to be.

Head coach Frank Lampard suggested at the beginning of July that the two parties remain in talks. “I haven’t given up hope on it,” he said. “The club is still in discussions with him. In the short term, we can see what he’s doing for us. It’s ongoing.”

However, sources close to the player have told The Athletic that the only negotiations which have taken place in recent months were those regarding seeing out the rest of 2019-20. As far as they are concerned, nothing has changed. Willian still wants a three-year contract and that hasn’t been forthcoming.

So, barring a miracle comeback from 3-0 down in their Champions League last-16 decider away to Bayern Munich, Willian’s seven-year love affair with Chelsea will be over in less than a month.

How do supporters feel about this? The Athletic put it to a vote and more than 12,000 people responded in the space of just 24 hours to let their feelings be known on the matter.

These results can be determined in two ways, depending on your side of the argument. On the positive side, nearly three quarters (73.7%) of the voters want Willian to remain at the club in some shape or form. Quite a mandate in his favour.

On the other hand, the only option which meets Willian’s demands and ensures he stays — the three-year contract — attracted the least amount of backing, while over a quarter will be happy to cut ties with him for good.

Many of those who participated left comments too, explaining that while Willian has been a very good player for the club, his current form shouldn’t affect the club’s decision this summer.

It is understood Said Benrahma, a winger who is helping west London neighbours Brentford’s Championship promotion challenge, is another transfer target being considered at the moment, to go along with Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Declan Rice. Clearly, the 24-year-old Algeria international would be a direct replacement for Willian.

Other fans explain that Chelsea could benefit financially from a multi-year agreement because it would allow them to sell Willian, just as happened with his compatriot David Luiz last summer when he joined Arsenal for £8 million only three months after announcing a two-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Some feel uncomfortable with him potentially joining a direct rival for free, especially when there is no guarantee that new signings would come in and hit the ground running.

Chelsea certainly have other positions that need looking at more urgently than Willian’s. There is only so much money to buy them with, too, after £80 million of the budget went on acquiring Ziyech and Timo Werner. Why use up around £25 million on Benrahma, who has never played at such a high level, when you can keep using someone Lampard trusts (albeit who will cost a lot more in wages and signing-on fee)?

A look at Willian’s contribution over the years shows very respectable, if not outstanding, numbers. This season is his best goalscoring return in the Premier League with nine, although three of those have been penalties. Overall, he has 11 goals and nine assists from 43 appearances, which nearly averages out as a goal or an assist every two matches. Not bad at all.

When compared to the numbers that cover his entire Chelsea career of 339 appearances, 63 goals and 65 assists, it shows he is performing well above his total average. However, to put it in some perspective, Eden Hazard left for Real Madrid last year with a record of 352 appearances, 110 goals and 92 assists.

One should also point out that the timing of the contribution and the calibre of opposition aren’t taken into account with these kind of statistics. What made Hazard so extraordinary was he came to the fore so often when it mattered most. Willian? Not so much.

But another positive in Willian’s column is how consistently he is available for selection. He hasn’t suffered any major injury issues during his tenure. The fewest number of games he has featured in during a season was under Antonio Conte in 2016-17, when he played 41 times.

The following year he bounced back with 55 appearances and a best return (so far) of 13 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. He backed that up under Maurizio Sarri last season with a Chelsea career high of 56 games, contributing eight goals and 14 assists.

Lampard’s appreciation of him is clear. The only league game he has not featured in was the opening fixture at Manchester United. That ranks him second in the squad, with Mason Mount the proud owner of a 100 per cent attendance on the register.

The Chelsea head coach knows what it’s like to be released by the club, having been let go himself in 2014. But unlike Willian, he was nearing the end of his career at the time with his 36th birthday a fortnight away. You get the impression he wants the situation resolved in a way that sees him keep the former Shakhtar Donetsk star.

As Lampard said recently: “We want him to stay at the club. But I also appreciate the fact that this contract is a big deal for him because of his age and where he’s at. I’ve been there myself and I respect that. But the way he’s playing at the minute shows his worth to the squad and the group and it’s something that I hope we can get to.

“Willian been a great servant to the club and if we can get it done, I will be happy. If not, I will certainly wish him well because I’ve got a lot of time for him as a player.”

A reunion with Luiz across town at the Emirates Stadium seems the most likely scenario right now but, no matter what happens, Chelsea’s following will not share the same opinion on it.

I am of the opinion that he can get a one year deal. That for me would be perfect as he is experienced, knows the league and club and we have a lot of surgery to do this off season, so having one less position to worry about would be beneficial. I could accept a two year as well, so long as his wages were similar to what he gets now. However, three years is simply too long, especially for someone of his build and position. If he really can get £250k a week for three years elsewhere, then we will have to let him go. 

[Jase 43,479]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

How do supporters feel about this? The Athletic put it to a vote and more than 12,000 people responded in the space of just 24 hours to let their feelings be known on the matter.

These results can be determined in two ways, depending on your side of the argument. On the positive side, nearly three quarters (73.7%) of the voters want Willian to remain at the club in some shape or form. Quite a mandate in his favour.

How many % of those people have been influenced by his recent form?

Maybe I'm missing something here but how come a deal of 2 years + 1 year as an option has not been mentioned? 

If Willian does stay on, I'd wager if he might influence our transfer purchases *coughkaicoughhavertzcough* and may well block the path of CHO on that RW. 

[Vesper 27,509]

“Probably their best player”: Former Chelsea player urges his former club to give star a new deal

https://www.caughtoffside.com/2020/07/10/probably-their-best-player-former-chelsea-player-urges-his-former-club-to-give-star-a-new-deal/

 

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Vesper said:

“Probably their best player”: Former Chelsea player urges his former club to give star a new deal

https://www.caughtoffside.com/2020/07/10/probably-their-best-player-former-chelsea-player-urges-his-former-club-to-give-star-a-new-deal/

 

People who do not watch us/Willian play on a weekly basis shouldn't be taken seriously. 

[Pizy 17,908]

22 minutes ago, Jason said:

People who do not watch us/Willian play on a weekly basis shouldn't be taken seriously. 

It’s funny. A lot of our fans think Willian is shit. A lot of oppo fans think he’s shit when they’re linked with him. But whenever I watch our matches the commentators always gush about him and call him a top class player.

 

[Vesper 27,509]

33 minutes ago, Jason said:

People who do not watch us/Willian play on a weekly basis shouldn't be taken seriously. 

I would assume Glen Johnson does though.

[Vesper 27,509]

52 minutes ago, Pizy said:

It’s funny. A lot of our fans think Willian is shit. A lot of oppo fans think he’s shit when they’re linked with him. But whenever I watch our matches the commentators always gush about him and call him a top class player.

 

I think if we do not get Havertz or any other forward, we need him to stay. But that is not a popular opinion here.

[Superblue 6,343]

4 hours ago, Jason said:

How many % of those people have been influenced by his recent form?

Maybe I'm missing something here but how come a deal of 2 years + 1 year as an option has not been mentioned? 

If Willian does stay on, I'd wager if he might influence our transfer purchases *coughkaicoughhavertzcough* and may well block the path of CHO on that RW. 

I feel it makes sense to try and keep a player on that Lampard clearly likes, wants and trusts. 

There are too many holes in this team in my opinion to let Willian leave and have to use up transfer budget to replace him. We can fit some square pegs in round holes but if he leaves along with Pedro this summer it leaves us with Ziyech, Pulisic and CHO as our genuine first team wide options. Ziyech is unproven in the league and may need time to adapt and Pulisic and CHO are both still young and have had injury issues. 

I too, cannot understand why there hasn't been suggestions of incentives to achieve that 3rd year, i.e. a certain number of appearances across the first two years or in the second year to automatically trigger an extension in his favour. It encourages him to remain fit and influential and if he is still playing a regular role in 2 years time, then an extra year wouldn't be an issue.

The way I see things with Willian is besides City and Liverpool (possibly United with Greenwood coming through but even then it's very debatable), he would be a first choice player in every other team in the league. If he is 3rd or 4th choice next season then that's a pretty good level to have in that position of the depth chart.

[Special Juan 27,126]

Spurs sound like they have offered him a contract