Chelsea have turned down a £50 million offer from Barcelona for Brazilian midfielder Willian, according to the Daily Mail.
Manchester United have been long-linked with Willian given his strong working relationship with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who now wants to bring the winger to Old Trafford.
But, despite winning the league and cup double in Spain last season, Barcelona have concerns that their squad still lacks greater quality in depth and attacking flair, particularly following their shock Champions League defeat by Roma last term.
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It is believed that Barca see the pacey 29-year-old as a playmaker who can add an extra dimension to their attack following the departure of Andreas Iniesta. His compatriot, Philippe Coutinho, joined the Catalan club in January after leaving Liverpool.
The Daily Mail continues to claim Willian’s representatives have been in Barcelona, yet Chelsea have so far shown no willingness to sell.
That tells us United ought to jump in quickly to make an offer, or else see Barcelona build on a dialogue before getting their man.
The English outlet does claim, however, that United would be willing to offer even more to secure a player Mourinho has been chasing for some time.
He scored 13 goals last season and was one of Chelsea’s stand out players whenever selected by manager Antonio Conte, who didn’t have the best of relationships with the player.
Time will tell as Willian is still in Russia with Brazil competing for World Cup glory after reaching the round of 16.
