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Longtime Chelsea winger Willian looks set to leave after seven seasons with the London club. Willian will turn 32 in two weeks and could play his final match for Chelsea in the FA Cup final against Arsenal on Saturday. His current contract expires in August and he has a handful of options for where he could play next, including MLS.
Willian’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, said in an interview with Talksport that he has two offers from Premier League clubs, two offers from Europe and a large offer from an unannounced MLS club.
"He has two concrete offers from Premier League teams."
"He has an MLS offer on the table, which is a very big offer.""He's got two other offers from Europe.
"He'll decide his future after the FA Cup."
Kia Joorabchian says #CFC's Willian isn't short of offers. pic.twitter.com/O4gOcfLK8T
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) July 28, 2020
Earlier in July there were reports that Willian turned down a lucrative three-year deal from Inter Miami. David Beckham’s club still has a designated player position and is in desperate need of a spark. The club has done the exact opposite of “hit the ground running” and instead has pancaked on the ground with little optimism of getting up.
Inter Miami are the first team in MLS history to lose their first five matches pic.twitter.com/jd977QB6Gb
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 20, 2020
With the horrid start and an open spot for a creative attacker, it was reported that Inter Miami was prepared to pay Willian nearly $130,000 a week until 2023. Despite Willian turning down this offer, his agent still said that there is a “very big offer” from MLS on the table.
It’s no question that the level of play in MLS will be a step down from the Premier League and European clubs offering Willian a spot. If the offer from MLS is big enough, perhaps the Brazilian winger will choose the motto of Gucci Mane: money over everything.
Getting Willian to come to America for the bigger wad of cash looks like the only feasible way to lure him away from Europe before next season. In the past he has made it clear that he intends to play in MLS after he is finished in Europe. In an interview with ESPN Brasil, Willian said he wants to play in Europe for several more years.
“I have plans to stay in Europe and try to play here maybe for three or four more seasons. I believe I can still perform on a high level. After that, when I will be 35, 36 years old, I intend to go to the United States and play there. It is a goal that I have,” Willian said.
The Chelsea great coming to MLS is almost a given. The question is if the league will get to see a slightly out-of-his-prime Willian in 2020 or grandpa Willian in 2024. Remember Willian: money over everything.
