5 possible destinations for Willian

Chelsea v Everton - Carabao Cup Fourth Round
Time to go?

The winter transfer window is almost upon us - and a few Premier League deals have already been officially wrapped up.

Liverpool announced the signing for Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a club record £75 million, which makes him the most expensive defender of all time.

Everton have finally signed a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, having agreed a £25 million fee for Turkish forward Cenk Tosun with Besiktas.

Chelsea have been linked with a host of players - including Thomas Lemar of Monaco and Leon Bailey of Bayer Leverkusen. This is presumably to replace Brazilian winger Willian for the long term with the former Shakhtar forward making only 10 starts in the league this season.

Conte clearly prefers Hazard and Pedro on the wings ahead of him, and the Italian's recent conversion to a 3-5-2 season has left him on the sidelines more than usual.

With the 2018 World Cup barely 5 months away, it makes sense for Willian to seek out a new club in the January window to ensure a seat on the flight to Russia.

Here are 5 possible destinations for him next month.


#5 Bayer Leverkusen

Club Atletico de Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
Willian might fit in well at Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen have a rich history but had an underwhelming season last time out when they finished 12th and failed to qualify for Europe.

This time around they have been better - they're only 2 points behind 2nd placed Schalke and have fewer goals than only Bayern and Dortmund.

Much of that attacking prowess has come from the dynamic attacking lineup consisting of Kevin Volland, Leon Bailey and Julian Brandt.

Jamaican forward Bailey has been impressive with 6 goals and 4 assists in 10 appearances and has been linked with quite a few big clubs - including Chelsea.

It, therefore, makes sense for Willian to go the other way. He would fit right into Leverkusen's high intensity attacking approach. There's no doubt that he would be the first choice, and he's also a like-for-like replacement for Bailey.

Leverkusen might be a step down from Chelsea, but at the age of 29 and looking for regular game time, that shouldn't be the first priority for him.

#4 Lyon

Everton FC v Olympique Lyon - UEFA Europa League
Arsenal are sniffing around Nabil Fekir

Another team with a similar playing style to Leverkusen, Lyon have had a fantastic season so far with just 2 defeats in the opening half of the season, level on points with Monaco and trailing leaders PSG by 9 points.

And just like Leverkusen, they owe a lot to their incredible attacking trident of Nabil Fekir, Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay, who have 34 goals between them.

That has naturally attracted interest from European giants, particularly for captain Nabil Fekir.

The French winger has been heavily linked with Arsenal as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Wenger has fought tooth and nail to hold on to the duo so far, but with their contracts yet to be renewed, it's hard to see them staying at the Emirates next season.

Likewise, it will be difficult for Fekir to ignore the lure of Arsenal, irrespective of the fact that he's currently club captain. While the Gunners still maintain an interest in Thomas Lemar, Fekir is a much more realistic target.

Willian hasn't been linked with Lyon, but it makes sense for both parties. The Brazilian needs regular game time, and Fekir's incredible form this season requires someone of similar quality to replace him.

In spite of PSG's blockbuster signings in the summer, their losses to Bayern and Strasbourg revealed chinks in the armour, and Lyon are quite capable of launching a late title bid. Willian might just be the man to help them do that.

#3 Barcelona

Getafe v Barcelona - La Liga
Dembele is yet to make a return from an injury suffered against Getafe

This option is not as much for the practicality as it is for the allure of Catalonia.

Surprisingly, Barcelona are one of the two clubs who actually have been linked with Willian. Their outstanding start to the season notwithstanding, Ousmane Dembele still remains injured, even though he might make a return after New Year.

Barca re-signed their former player Gerard Deulofeu in the summer after Neymar left for PSG, and eventually replaced the Brazilian superstar with former Dortmund starlet Dembele.

But Deulofeu hasn't been able to nail down a place in the starting XI, and Dembele has been injured for a large chunk of the first half of the season after rupturing a tendon.

This has left Barca with no true wingers in their first team. Against Real Madrid in the recent El Clasico, they started the match with four central midfielders.

They did win the match 3-0, and they have been pretty successful with their current 4-4-2 system. Real's dismal run of form has left the Blaugrana as clear favourites for the La Liga title.

But they can't afford to rest on their laurels during the winter transfer window, and an extra winger to offer pace and width can never hurt. Willian might struggle to adapt to their style of play but will offer an extra dimension going forward.

As for the Brazilian himself, he can have no delusions of being the first choice at the Camp Nou. But if he can make himself important with a few good performances, it will send the perfect message to Brazilian manager Tite as he finalises his squad for Russia.

#2 Arsenal

Arsenal v Chelsea - Premier League
Willian will make a good replacement for Sanchez or Ozil

With the Gunners destined to lose Sanchez and Ozil in January, or at least next summer by the latest, it's surprising that they haven't made an approach for Willian yet.

Chelsea will be hard to bargain with, but the Brazilian will certainly be a lot cheaper than Arsenal's current targets (Lemar and Fekir).

The French duo is a lot younger and full of promise. But for the short term, Willian will do just fine.

After Oxlade-Chamberlain left in the summer, and with Walcott itching for a move away from the Emirates, Wenger is desperately short of options out wide.

Chelsea fans will certainly not take this move to a fierce rival easily, but it does make sense for Willian. He will definitely be the undisputed first choice (if Sanchez chooses to leave), and won't have much trouble adapting to Arsenal's style of play.

But of course, none of this means anything as long as the Gunners themselves don't make an approach. As appealing as £90 million for Lemar might sound, it's easier to see Wenger spending a lot lesser on Willian.

And you can't dispute the Brazilian's qualities - when he's playing regularly, he's easily one of the best wingers in England.

#1 Manchester United

Chelsea FC & Sporting Lisbon Press Conference
Current United boss Mourinho is a fan of the Brazilian

Jose Mourinho, Willian, and a gaping hole in Manchester United's right wing. A match made in heaven.

The fact that Chelsea agreed to sign an ageing Samuel Eto'o as part of the Willian deal from Anzhi back in 2013 shows just how highly Mourinho values him.

Add to that the fact that United have yet to find a winger after failing to sign Ivan Perisic last summer, and all the factors point towards Old Trafford being Willian's ideal destination.

After starting the season with a bang, United's attacking fervour has reduced over the last few weeks. Fans and critics have accused Mourinho's system of being too rigid and static, and they're not entirely wrong.

Rashford and Martial have been in fine form, but both of them started their careers as strikers. Mata and Mkhitaryan are more suited to no. 10 roles, and Lingard's recent goalscoring form has come from a more central position.

If the Red Devils want to consolidate their position on the table (forget reaching City, staying second seems a huge challenge with Liverpool and Chelsea breathing down their necks), they have to prioritise landing a winger for the winter transfer window.

United being linked to the more high profile targets like Paulo Dybala and Antoine Griezmann has shifted attention away from Willian, but Mourinho is still reportedly interested in the move.

Just like Arsenal, Willian would have no problems making United's starting XI. The Brazilian would inject some much-needed pace and trickery down the right, and he always performs best under Mourinho.

Not only does a move to Manchester make the most sense for Willian, it is also the most likely move going by the look of things right now.

Quick Links

Edited by Shambhu Ajith