Sridhar Bhamidi
Chelsea midfielder Willian has revealed that he weighed the option of joining Jose Mourinho at Manchester United this summer.
The 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder is one of Mourinho’s favourite players and was repeatedly linked with a move to Old Trafford. Last season under Antonio Conte, Willian was not the first-choice, falling behind Pedro and Eden Hazard in the pecking order. This added fuel to the rumours.
However, the Blues were adamant that no bids would be entertained and blocked his exit. Willian admitted that talks for a move did not move forward and he is now happy with his life in London. He spoke to Goal.com,
“Manchester came to me, they talked with my agent, but nothing happened, because Chelsea would not negotiate me in any way and I’m very happy at Chelsea.”
The Mourinho Connection
Willian joined Chelsea in 2013 from Shakhtar Donetsk when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge for his second stint as manager of the Blues.
Once the Portuguese joined the Red Devils last season, Willian was reported to be a transfer target for us. There were even reports of a big-money move to China too but nothing happened on any front and the Brazilian stayed back in London.
Willian and Mourinho share a special bond and Brazilian is thankful for the trust the Portuguese put in him. He added,
“He likes me a lot and I like him a lot as a coach and as a person. He has put his trust in me and in my work, and I was very grateful to him.”
The attacking midfielder thrived under Mourinho and was the club’s ‘Player of the Year’ in Mourinho’s final season for the Blues. Willian went on to compare the two coaches saying that Mourinho likes more ball practice while Conte works on the physical and tactical part.
Missed Chance?
Willian was seriously pursued by the Old Trafford chiefs considering the relationship he had with Mourinho. The arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan combined with the emergence of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford should make this a closed chapter now.
The Brazilian started for Chelsea in the Community Shield defeat at the hands of Arsenal last weekend and should once again start in the season opener for Chelsea against Burnley. It is a credit to his abilities, that he buckled up and slowly made his way back into the first-team of Conte.
Would Willian have thrived at Old Trafford? Hard to speculate but one thing is for sure – he maintains a high respect for Mourinho.
