Barcelona close in on their first major summer signing
Chelsea rejected Barcelona’s January bid for winger Willian, who will now join the Spanish side on a free deal this summer once his contract expires.
Sky Sports reported that Barcelona had prepared a last-minute January transfer window offer of £20 million for Willian, which was rejected by Chelsea due to Frank Lampard’s concern of lack of attacking options. The Brazilian’s future remains up for debate with his contract expiring in months with many reports speculating his departure from Stamford Bridge this summer.
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Daily Mail has now reported that the Chelsea forward is set to leave the London side on a free transfer to Camp Nou after the expiration of his current contract. The 31-year-old, despite his desire to remain with the club, is said to be frustrated with the absence of any development towards his contract renewal.
The Brazilian is now open to discuss his future with other clubs, with Marca reporting that Blaugrana representatives have met the player and nearing an agreement to secure Willian’s move to Camp Nou.
The Spanish club are allowed to negotiate the player’s future as he has entered the final months of his existing contract, and to make matters even better, Willian shares the same agency, Sport Invest, as Philippe Coutinho, a fact which might aid during the negotiations.
Chelsea are at risk of losing one of their key player for free unless they manage to convince Willian to extend his stay, Barca are keen on adding the experienced winger to their squad after being a long time admirers of the 31-year-old.
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