Willian admitted this week he would have left Chelsea if Antonio Conte was the manager. He failed to publicly declare his commitment to the club this summer; despite interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
But according to the Sun, he is set to be offered a new contract. The report says he will get a pay rise on his £120,000-a-week deal. More tellingly, Chelsea look set to break with policy.
The will reportedly offer 30-year-old Willian a two-year deal; the Blues usually just offer 12-month extensions for players who are 30 or above.
He hasn’t earned a new deal
Willian acted immaturely under the previous regime. He is yet to fully convince that he deserves a nailed down spot in the team. He could have left the club this summer.
How does Chelsea respond? By offering him a bumper new deal, with terms they do not usually offer. Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard and John Terry were all subject to club policy.
But Willian apparently isn’t. His rewarded for flirting with leaving the club is a policy-breaking deal – it sends out the wrong message.
Chelsea missed a trick this summer by not selling Willian and signing Wilfried Zaha. The Crystal Palace winger has now signed a new deal, but selling the Brazilian and upgrading with a younger player should still be the plan.
Sarri and Chelsea do not seem to see it that way, which is an error. Willian does not deserve special treatment, but that’s exactly what he appears to be getting.
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