Willian to Fulham: ‘Rival offers expected’ amid ‘interesting’ medical update
Willian expects to receive a host of post-deadline offers to sign as a free agent but has agreed to re-join Fulham anyway, according to Khaveh Solhekol.
The 36-year-old was spotted at Stamford Bridge, watching Chelsea beat West Ham 2-1 (3 February), with rumours of the Brazilians return to Craven Cottage and his other former club.
Football Insider had previously revealed the Brazilian was set to snub offers from Saudi Pro League sides, in favour of a return to the Premier League.
Willian is currently a free agent, having cancelled his contract with Olympiacos just six months into a one-year deal.
Everton were a team rumoured to be interested in signing the Brazilian, but no deal was struck between the two parties.
Despite interest from a number of different clubs, Solhekol revealed on Sky Sports News that Willian’s intention was to sign with Fulham due to his relationship with manager, Marco Silva. Solhekol said: (10.23pm): “Willian is at Stamford Bridge, we’ve managed to speak to his representatives tonight. They’ve told us he will have a medical at Fulham tomorrow.
“And they’re saying to us he had lots of offers from lots of different clubs, including lots of clubs in this country, but he wants to go to Fulham.
“The reason he wants to go to Fulham is he’s played there before, he loves the club, he loves working with Marco Silva as well.
“Interestingly, he could have waited until the window closed this evening and he feels that he would have had more options tomorrow because he’s a free agent so clubs who’d missed out on signing people during the window could still have signed him.
“But he said ‘no, I’m not interested in anybody else, I want to go to Fulham’. He’ll have his medical tomorrow, and I’m being told that he’s 100% match fit.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva hoping to get the best out of Willian once again
Football Insider Verdict
Willian has been a player who requires the right circumstances to perform at his best, and Silva is a manager who can get the most out of him.
Following seven seasons at Chelsea, that saw the Brazilian win every trophy – bar the Champions League – available to him, he headed across town to join Arsenal on a free transfer.
However, much like Raheem Sterling now, the move did not work out, and Willian looked to return home for a swansong in Brazil.
The move to Brazil quickly turned from a happy ending, to an absolute nightmare, for the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger, as Corinthian fans turned on him.
Willian was expected to single-handedly drag an ailing Corinthians team to glory, but an unbelievable Flamengo side dominated.
The Brazilian winger left his home country, returning to London for a third team in the capital, this time with Fulham.
Silva had just gotten the Cottagers promoted, and Fulham were expected to be relegated for a third successive time.
However, the combination of Willian, Marco Silva, and the rest of Fulham’s promotion winning squad surprised many, by comfortably finishing 10th, two places above his former team, Chelsea.
Whilst the Brazilian is lacking the burst of speed that made him such a threat in his younger days, his remarkable footballing IQ allows him to be in the right place, at the right time, and he can still be an asset for the Europe-chasing Cottagers.
In other news, Andreas Pereira has sent a message to Fulham fans.
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