Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is reluctant to back Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and offer Willian the contract he desires.
The Brazilian wants a three year deal but Granovskaia is only willing to offer Willian a two year deal due to his age.
According to transfer expert Duncan Castles, Granovskaia would prefer to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jadon Sancho over giving Willian a three year deal at the club.
Castles said on the Transfer Window podcast: “We’re not saying it cannot change but what would be required for it to change is a decision to come from Marina Granovskaia, that she’s prepared to back her manager when he asks for a player who is 31, already over the age limit where Chelsea like to restrict contracts to just a year guaranteed duration and give him a player to remain in the squad rather than go and recruit in that position, as she tried to do in the January window.
“We told you about their efforts to sign Jadon Sancho, a move that Lampard wasn’t particularly keen on because that he felt that the scale of the transfer fee would be too large and it wasn’t a position where he wanted to spend that amount of money, on a younger player on high wages who would have a high profile, and because he’s happy with the resources he has there at the moment, i.e. Willian.
“So it’s going to need a fundamental change in stance by Chelsea’s hierarchy to allow Willian to stay at the club.”
On Sunday, Willian confirmed his desire to remain at Chelsea.