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Chelsea and Manchester United made surprise inquiries about Willian before he signed a new deal with Fulham, according to ESPN Brazil’s Joao Castelo-Branco.
Fulham announced that Willian had put in place a new one-year deal with them on Monday (17 July). The 34-year-old has been a free agent for more than two weeks after his contract with the Cottagers expired on June 30.
Willian helped Fulham finish 10th in the Premier League last season after joining on a one-year deal from Corinthians. The attacking midfielder has scored five goals and six assists in 27 Premier League appearances for the London-based club.
Fulham have always been clear about their desire to offer the Brazilian a new contract. However, there were fears that the veteran might turn down the proposal to stay at Craven Cottage, with Nottingham Forest’s interest growing fearful.
However, manager Marco Silva’s desire to keep Willian at the club appears to have led to a breakthrough. The Cougars have also notably been given an option to extend the contract of the former Arsenal forward by another 12 months.
Meanwhile, it emerged that Willian was the subject of shocking interest from Chelsea and Manchester United before he committed to Fulham. According to the aforementioned source, both clubs discussed the possibility of contracting with him. However, they viewed it as an alternative option and decided not to pursue the deal.
Manchester United sign Mason Mount from Chelsea
Manchester United’s decision not to pursue the Willian deal can be explained by the acquisition of Mason Mount. They agreed to pay Chelsea £55m plus a further £5m in add-ons for the England international. Since then, the Red Devils have turned their attention towards signing a goalkeeper and a striker.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are said to be in the market for midfield reinforcements, with Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kai Havertz departing. However, they are currently focused on securing a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo.
The Blues are widely expected to bid more than £70m for Caicedo this week. They will be hoping to secure a deal across the line with the Ecuadorian international soon. Mauricio Pochettino’s side could then consider signing a new striker, especially if former Manchester United player Romelu Lukaku departs.
It is worth noting that Willian has made a deal with Chelsea for seven years, between 2013 and 2020. He has played 339 matches across competitions with Stamford Bridge, scoring 63 goals and 62 assists. The forward also helped them win five titles.
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