Willian has haggled hard with Chelsea over contract negotiations and is now shopping himself out in London. It is a familiar game that he will not win.
Willian is and has been a good player for Chelsea. While not statistically appealing, he works hard and knits things together in other ways. Even with the occasional “my daughter put the emoji over the coach” high jink, he has been loyal to the club.
But now he is entering a different stage of his career. Chelsea broke their one year contract for 30 plus year old players for David Luiz (foolishly). With that Pandora’s Box open, Willian has been trying to push it even further. Willian wants three years; Chelsea is offering two. Neither side is budging.
So Willian has begun shopping himself out (or more accurately, his agent is through transfer rumor). Willian says he would be fine with moving to Arsenal or Tottenham. He is trying to play a game Chelsea is already familiar with. He will not win it.
Petr Cech was allowed to move to Arsenal on a transfer, but he had earned that from his contributions to the club. Willian has contributed, sure, but not enough that he can start pointing towards rivals to scare Chelsea into adjusting their demands.
David Luiz attempted something similar last summer as well. As soon as Luiz saw he would have to fight for a spot, he pushed for his move. Perhaps he thought the board would step in, but he was allowed to go to Arsenal. Ask any Arsenal fan, but the vast majority will likely say they got rinsed over that deal.
Willian asking for a three year contract is one part seeing how far he can push the rule after Luiz opened it up, and one part seeing the writing on the wall. His career is winding down and while he has become accustomed to fighting for his place at Chelsea, he is reaching the point now where the scales are tipping towards less and less playing time.
Saying he would be okay with going to Arsenal or Tottenham is supposed to make the Blues think twice about letting him go. After all, who wants to strengthen a rival?
Except he would not really strengthen either side enough for Chelsea to be concerned. Cech was a fantastic player, but by the time he went to Arsenal he was fading. The Blues knew that. Luiz has his moments and played a ton for Maurizio Sarri, but the Blues knew his “experience” would be a drop in the ocean for Arsenal. Willian too would only offer Jose Mourinho someone familiar and Arsenal another option in an area they do not really need strengthening.
Part of this likely also stems from the fact that Barcelona’s interest has evaporated. Willian, perhaps seeing the struggle of finding a new club is becoming real, has thrown out this Arsenal and Tottenham line to either coax Chelsea into folding or drum up interest. It is unlikely to work much on either front.
Willian will find a new club, but unless he is willing to bend towards a two year contract, it will not be Chelsea. The Blues surely will not give in and give him three years given what those three years would offer the club. If Willian wants Arsenal or Tottenham, he can have them. He will struggle to get a three year contract with either but that is the game he is playing. And as already stated, it is one he will not be winning.