Why Liverpool must back off from signing Willian

According to Sport Witness (h/t Daily Mirror), Liverpool are in talks with Chelsea winger Willian regarding a shock summer move.

The Blues star is available for free in the summer with his current contract at Stamford Bridge set to expire at the end of this season. 31-year-old Willian, who spent a major share of his career in Chelsea had earlier wanted to extend his contract by three more years.

However, Chelsea wanted to offer their two-time Premier League winner just two years, resulting in a breakdown of negotiations between both parties. With his future at the side remaining an uncertainty, William is considering his options. Chelsea’s rivals Reds have emerged as the front runners.

Having arrived in England from Russian side Anzhi more than six years ago, Willian has been a vital player for Chelsea over the years. Other than helping Chelsea to two domestic titles, Willian has also won the Europa League (2018-19), an FA Cup (2018), and the Carabao Cup (2015) with them. However, he is already past his thirties and has shown signs of slowing down.

Despite still being on the scoresheet for Chelsea, his performances on the pitch have gone down. It is very evident from his numbers, with the seasoned winger managing to score just seven goals and give six assists.

The year before, Willian had 8 goals and a whopping 17 assists to his name, giving a fair idea of his slip in form. That said, Willian does not feel like the kind of player Liverpool need at the moment.

Chances rare at Liverpool for Willian

Jurgen Klopp has built a Liverpool squad that boasts of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah. The three lifted the Champions League trophy last year due to their standout displays in the attack.

Of the three of them, Mane and Salah function as wide forwards. However, they are both technically the side’s first-choice wingers. With the two wide-men still continuing their good form this term, they both look like the side’s undisputed starters next season too.

The Reds also have Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri as wingers but the consistency of Mane and Salah has put the two of them down the pecking order.

Minamino recently arrived from the Austrian side RB Salzburg after his impressive displays for the latter in the domestic and Champions League fixtures. Aged 25, he can be seen as a future player for the side, thus limiting Willian’s chances of a first-team entry.

Shaqiri, on the other hand, has fallen out of favour in recent times with Salah’s dominance on the left. However, after having scored six goals and given five assists altogether in his maiden season, there is no denying that Shaqiri is a talent.

Meanwhile, Willian, who has been a regular with Chelsea all these years may find it difficult to get enough game time at Anfield. Hence, Liverpool should back away from this move as it is just a waste of time and resources.

Read more:

• Why Liverpool should make a move for Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz
• Why signing Marcelo Brozovic is a waste of time and money
• Liverpool interested in 26-year-old La Liga enforcer Thomas Partey – Could he be a useful signing for Klopp?

Verdict

Liverpool already have talented wingers such as Minamino and Shaqiri, and signing Willian seems really pointless. The Brazilian will just prove to be surplus to their requirements and it would be best if Liverpool end their pursuit of the Chelsea star.