Chelsea’s star midfielder Willian failed to report for pre-season training amidst rumours of a £65 million bid for his services from Real Madrid, according to the Times.
The newspaper reports that the Brazilian was expected to return to South West London last Friday following an extended post-World Cup break, but has yet to appear at training.
The 29-year-old is said to have contacted Chelsea explaining that a passport issue has delayed his return to the club, however the timing is concerning for the Blues.
The Times state that Chelsea endured a similar situation last summer when Diego Costa refused to return for pre season training as he angled for a return to Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard eventually got his wish with a £57million move.
OPINION
This is a worrying situation for Maurizio Sarri’s side. Willian has been the subject of intense speculation all summer long, with his future at Stamford Bridge completely up in the air. His failure to report back for pre season training, possibly entirely innocent, only intensifies the scrutiny surrounding him. The Diego Costa saga last summer will have made Blues bosses even more nervous, although the Brazilian seems to be a very different character to his pugnacious former team mate. Chelsea need to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible, because if they do sell the 29-year-old then they’re running out of time to replace him in this transfer window. Madrid’s rumoured bid of £65 million is pretty good money for a player approaching his thirties, so Chelsea may be forced to reconsider their stance on the matter. They clearly don’t want to part with one of their key players, but that sort of money might be too good to pass up. Willian, too, would surely relish a move to the Spanish capital. There’s legs in this story yet.