Chelsea forward Willian has once again revealed he is ready to sign a new contract before his current deal expires in the summer of 2020.
Brazil international Willian arrived at Stamford Bride in August 2013 from Anzhi Makhachkala in a £30million deal and he has been a firm favourite under the five managers he has worked under at the five-time Premier League champions.
Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri and current boss Frank Lampard have all spoken highly about the 31-year-old, highlighting just how important he is to Chelsea.
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The experienced forward recently made his 300th appearance for the Blues and he marked that outing by scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 Champions League victory in Lille.
Despite being a valued member of the squad, Willian, who has won five trophies since arriving in England, including last season’s Europa League and two Premier League titles, still faces a nervous wait over his future.
The Ribeirao Pires-born star’s contract runs out at the end of this season and with Lampard putting more and more faith in youth this term, a new deal is up in the air at the moment.
Striker Tammy Abraham, who has scored eight goals to co-lead the league’s scoring charts this season, defender Fikayo Tomori and midfielder Mason Mount have all emerged as first-team regulars for the Blues, while Billy Gilmour has also made one PL appearances.
Although unsure what the future holds, Willian, who is still said to be a target for Spanish champions Barcelona, has made it clear on more than one occasion now that he wants to sign an extension and he is eyeing another 300 Chelsea appearances.
“I think I have improved a lot. Every game you can learn from. Then after every game you ask yourself ‘What have I done well, what have I not done well?’
I always want to continue improving,” he told the club’s official website: “I’m very proud to reach this number, and I hope for 300 more to come!”
