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What’s the story?
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid had their offers for Willian rejected by Chelsea. Both La Liga giants are understood to have submitted offers worth £35 million for the Brazilian international.
In case you didn’t know…
The Catalans tried to sign the Brazilian last summer as well but the move was rejected by the club and Willian. This season, Barcelona have tried once again together with Atletico Madrid.
The right-winger made 32 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring thrice and providing seven assists for his team.
The heart of the matter
Sky Sports have reported that the Blues have rejected bids from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid for their star winger Willian.
The 30-year-old is out of contract next summer and if he doesn’t renew his contract with Chelsea, the club will lose him on a free transfer next summer. The La Liga champions seem determined to sign Willian despite being unsuccessful on multiple occasions.
Despite the risk of losing the player for free, the Blues are keen to hold onto their winger because they cannot afford to lose more attacking players from the squad. Eden Hazard has already moved to Real Madrid and Chelsea need creative players to stay at the club.
If both Hazard and Willian leave in the same transfer window, it could spell trouble for the Europa League winners next season. In addition, Chelsea also have a transfer ban imposed on them which prevents the club from signing new players this summer.
Meanwhile, the Madrid club are looking to strengthen their squad after their talisman, Antoine Griezmann, confirmed that he will be leaving the club.
What's next?
It seems like both Atletico Madrid and Barca will have to look elsewhere given that Chelsea are bent on keeping their player.
