Willian has long been a target of Barcelona, with the Spanish club attempting to sign the Brazilian during the last two transfer windows. Chelsea are believed to have ejected an offer of around £55million for the play during the summer, but it now appears as though Barcelona have returned with an interesting proposal.
Sky Sports are reporting that the five time European Cup winners have offered a player plus cash deal, with winger Malcom heading to Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis. The former Bordeaux man arrived at Barcelona in the summer, but has failed to make an impact at the Camp Nou.
He famously pulled out of a potential deal with Roma at the last minute in order to move to Catalonia, but it appears as though his time in Spain may already be up. He has made only five appearances in the league so far this season, totalling a measly 97 minutes of action on the pitch.
Willian on the other hand has been a consistent fixture in the Chelsea team under Maurizio Sarri, appearing in all but one of their Premier League outings thus far. Sarri would likely prefer to hold on to the player this month, but the club may be interested in moving him on.
The former Anzhi player will turn 31 later this year and has only 18 months remaining on his current deal. Chelsea have famously refused to offer long-term contracts to players over 30 in the past, and may view this as the final chance to get some significant value from an ageing asset.
The amount of cash that would be involved in the deal is unclear, but Malcom (still only 21-years old) could be an excellent addition to a squad that will also see the arrival of Christian Pulisic in the summer. While he has not enjoyed the best of times at Barca, it was only a few months ago that he was one of the most coveted players on the market.
The decision makers at Chelsea may feel a change of scenery could get his career back on track, with Roma and Spurs also rumoured to be interested in his services. Chelsea hold the upper hand, however, and would be wise to listen to any proposals from Barcelona.
