Willian is on the outside of England looking in, and soon he could be in the same position at Chelsea. His unplanned absence keeps the door open for challengers wanting to be Maurizio Sarri’s starting right wing.
Willian and Roman Abramovich have two more things in common this summer. Both are relieved to be free of Antonio Conte (even if Abramovich is still sending him checks), and both had visa issues hamper their return to England. While Willian waits for permission to enter England and join up with the team, Chelsea’s other wingers have an opportunity to block his return to the starting XI, if not the squad altogether.
For starters, there is nothing more to Willian’s absence than the visa. The Brazilian has certainly had his issues with dissent and disrespect, but this is not one of them. The matter is completely out of his hands. The consequences might be, as well.
Injuries and other unplanned absences tend to be the most reliable way for a player to break into a Chelsea XI. One player’s misfortune opens the door on his teammate’s opportunity, and the incumbent can become the challenger in a matter of weeks. Simply by not being there to defend his spot – a spot that was already tenuous given his attitude and the transfer rumours – puts Willian at a disadvantage not of his making. A new coach offers a somewhat clean slate, so the players who have had the most face time with Maurizio Sarri have a few more steps ahead.
Given everything surrounding Willian right now, the other wingers do not even need to overthrow him completely. They only need to change the club’s calculus around his status.
Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri likely started the summer thinking of Willian as the top candidate for right wing, with Eden Hazard on the left. This role justifies both his wage packet and rejecting the repeated bids from Barcelona. If Sarri and the club need Willian as their starter and they have no inbound transfers on the horizon, they will not sell. Not even for £55 million.
But if Willian is no longer the starter, it is a lot harder to justify paying him a starter’s wages, and even more so to turn down any forthcoming offers. £55 million may not be enough for them to budge on an essential part of their starting XI. But no one turns down £55 million for a depth player.
Ross Barkley could be in the best position to poach Willian’s starting spot. He has had standout performances in midfield throughout preseason, and looks incredibly fit and strong. He may even be fit enough to avoid a recurrence of injury. In an interview with The Telegraph, Barkely overflowed with motivation for the coming season. He is ready to get his career back on track, using his time at Chelsea to put him back in the mix for the England national team.
Notably, Barkley mentioned how he could play a more advanced role under Sarri.
"There will be freedom because you have three men in the midfield. You can go forward, get close to the box, have shots, try to create but obviously we have to be disciplined and organised without the ball… I want to be scoring goals, creating goals. – Telegraph"
Barkley’s best spells at Everton came on the wing. His technique and muscular presence is a perfect counter-balance to Eden Hazard on the other side. Barkley could be almost a second target man to draw defenders and the ball toward him, opening space for Hazard to create or move into. Conversely, he has the power to drive in from the wing towards the top of the box, forcing players to converge on him, conceding passing and shooting lanes.
If Barkley can take Willian’s starting XI spot, then Willian is left competing with younger players as depth. Those younger players like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Lucas Piazon cost less and have more upside than the 29-year old. Hudson-Odoi and Piazon will bring new energy and positivity into the squad, and the club will watch their transfer value rise as the season goes on. Willian’s value, on the other hand, will only decrease from its current hyperinflated levels. Even if Willian is the “best of the rest,” that may not be enough to turn down an offer and keep paying his salary.
Retaining Willian as a backup costs Chelsea on a variety of fronts. And that is without even considering how willing he is to have that reduced role. If his options are depth at Chelsea or starting at Manchester United, he may force the club to sell.
Fortune has a way of twisting careers. Willian didn’t want to be away from Chelsea for this long after the World Cup, but he is. Now the visa issue has his fate in Ross Barkley’s and Maurizio Sarri’s hands as much as his own.