Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has highlighted the importance of Willian to the Blues amid the recent speculation linking him with Barcelona. The Brazil international had been the subject of three failed bids from the Spanish champions during the summer and reports have recently indicated that the Blues have snubbed a player-plus-cash deal from the Blaugrana for their player.
“I didn’t receive anything yesterday. I have no idea. You have to contact the club and ask about the market, because if you ask me about the market, you put me in trouble because I don’t know how to answer. As you know, Willian for us is very important. I think he can do better, he can do better because of his potential but he is really very important to us, so I think it is impossible to lose him in January,” he said.
Willian currently has 18 months remaining on his existing deal with the Blues and so far, the club have not opened up discussions regarding a new contract. Nonetheless, the attacker remains fundamental to the first-team plans for the campaign where they are aiming to return to the Champions League.
Chelsea are presently holding a three-point advantage over Arsenal for the fourth position on the table and they will be hoping to extend the gap when they entertain Newcastle United over the weekend. The west London outfit scrapped through a late 2-1 triumph over the Magpies during the reverse fixture and they can expect another tricky game with the defensive approach from Rafael Benitez’s side.