Being linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona must make you a great player, right?
As a Chelsea fan who has watched Willian for eight years now, my opinion on the winger changes more than he changes direction.
One game he is untouchable, the next invisible, but that hasn’t stopped some of the best clubs in the world from trying to sign the enigma.
Do the stats lie?
One of Willian’s biggest issues is his below-par goal return for Chelsea, especially in the Premier League.
He has scored just 33 goals in 226 top-flight appearances for The Blues since 2013, just one more than Mo Salah scored in his first season with Liverpool.
The numbers make for pretty grim reading but Willian has chipped in with, not only some brilliant goals for Chelsea, but hugely important ones too.
He has been a loyal servant to The Blues after turning Spurs down to sign for the west Londoners back in 2013, winning their Player of the Year award in 2016.
His free-kicks and long shots are impressive, as is his control and dribbling ability making him more than a run-of-the-mill Premier League winger.
The man has 70 caps for Brazil showing just how talented Chelsea’s number 10 is, or can be.
Does a move to Arsenal make sense?
In short, yes. It makes perfect sense.
Willian has said on countless occasions how much he likes his life in London.
He has a wife and young children who are settled in the Big Smoke and Arsenal is no great journey for the 31-year-old to make.
The Gunners have had mixed luck with their wingers over recent years and the Premier League veteran might be the answer to their woes.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolas Pepe have failed to set the world alight in their time at The Emirates, with the former leaving to Roma on loan.
Willian would also arrive for free and could offer support to Pepe and who is cut from the same cloth as the Brazilian.
It feels like a transfer window wouldn’t be a transfer window without the Catalan club launching a bid for Willian.
There have been reported bids in the region of £60million for the past two years from Barcelona, none of which Chelsea accepted.
With Willian seemingly available for free, one of football’s longest transfer sagas might just go through.
Barcelona have been keen on Willian since his performances against the club back in 2018 where he scored at Stamford Bridge and impressed in both legs.
The Spanish side are surprisingly thin up front, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann have the injury prone Ousmane Dembele and inexperienced Martin Braithwaite for company up top.
Willian would struggle to get in the first team but if he wanted a move to one of the world’s best then Barcelona could be an option for him.
Where would Willian fit in at Liverpool?
Well, with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane tearing up the Premier League as they have been over the last few years, you would imagine the bench.
But with the demanding schedule that comes with being as good as Liverpool, Willian would be a great option from the bench.
Frank Lampard has praised Willian for his work rate off the ball this season, something that is a requirement when you play for Jurgen Klopp.
His high pressing and direct running makes him a perfect fit for the German.
You can be sure that, if he signed for The Reds, his goal tally would sky rocket up with Liverpool’s wide men being the top scorers for the club.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi would be pushed further down the pecking order should the Brazilian sign so you would imagine one of Liverpool’s forwards would be on the move.
Should Willian want a third Premier League winner’s medal, a move to Anfield looks like a better option than Arsenal.
Could a U-turn be on the cards at Chelsea?
Looking at Chelsea’s set up, an experienced international with experience at the club looks like a prized asset.
Chelsea have been trying to bleed in their youngsters with mixed success this season.
Lampard has dropped the old guard on a few occasions but has ended up reverting to the likes of Olivier Giroud, Willian and Pedro.
Chelsea’s last two games before lockdown were against Liverpool and Everton, both wins and both with Willian playing and scoring.
The club don’t like offering long-term contracts to players over 30 but with Giroud and Willian both looking so key before the Coronavirus outbreak, perhaps it’s time to change that policy.
With Hakim Ziyech on his way to the club over the summer you would imagine either Willian or Pedro will leave.
The Spaniard is the older player and Lampard has waxed lyrical about Willian all year so don’t be surprised if he does put pen to paper at Chelsea over the next couple of months.
From winning Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 2016 to fans calling for his head, Willian has had plenty of ups and downs during his time in England.
His goalscoring record is, at first, a worrying sign for any potential buyers but his work-rate, set pieces and natural fitness make up for the lack of goals.
There is no doubt signing Willian in his 30s is a risk, the question is: who’s willing to take the risk?