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What's the Story?
Jose Mourinho's team is currently eight points behind Manchester City, and should United's recent impotence in front of goal continue in coming matches, the Portuguese manager may try to reinforce his attack in the winter transfer window.
According to reports from the Express, Mourinho is keen on bringing Chelsea's Willian to Manchester United. The United manager brought the Brazilian winger to Chelsea in 2013, and has publicly expressed his admiration for the player in the past.
In case you didn't know...
Antonio Conte endured a tricky start to this season's Premier League campaign as Chelsea lost to Burnley on first match-day of the league.
Further losses against Crystal Palace, Manchester City and AS Roma added to speculation that Conte would be sacked, but in recent weeks the Italian has managed to restore a modicum of stability to the faltering Chelsea side.
The Italian has done this by subtly tweaking the 3-4-3 formation that was so successful last season. The newer formation is a 3-5-2, with an additional central midfielder thrown in, and it has shown immediate results.
While this has been good for the likes of Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata, who have been scoring more frequently, it means that Chelsea need one less attacking midfielder. This has been tough on Willian, because he has become a second substitute of sorts, with Conte preferring Pedro as the first backup option.
The heart of the matter
Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with a move for Lucas Moura, and should the move go through, Willian's place in the team could become tantamount to that of a spectator. This may hurt Willian's chances of being a first-team regular for the Brazilian national team in the World Cup.
Willian has started just six games for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, and none of his starts have come after Conte's decision to tweak the system. While Willian will definitely get to play matches in the League Cup and the UEFA Champions League, it may not be enough to keep him at the club.
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Author's Take
Willian's form has been erratic of late, and his performances have failed to show any improvement. However, Chelsea may be wary of strengthening their Mancunian rivals yet again, after Nemanja Matic's good form for the Red Devils. Chelsea will probably sell Willian soon, but United seems like an unlikely destination for the Brazilian.
