Why Manchester United must avoid shelling out £70million to sign Willian
According to a report by The Mirror, Chelsea are demanding a staggering £70million for Willian’s services this summer. The report further states that Manchester United and Barcelona are interested in signing him. Now, the situation might be different for the Catalan giants but do the Red Devils really need the Brazilian winger?
Last season, the 29-year-old played an important role for the Blues and was one of their most consistent and reliable players up front. However, Antonio Conte did not hand him regular starts and it makes sense for the player to seek an exit.
At face value, having a player like the Brazilian in the ranks could prove to be beneficial for Jose Mourinho. A lethal attacker like the Chelsea star can add so much value and boost squad depth for United but considering the plethora of attacking options at Mourinho’s disposal right now, it does bring up the question of whether they genuinely need him.
Willian primarily plays either as an attacking midfielder or on the right-wing. Mourinho usually alternated between the likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata for both of these roles last season. And while a player like Willian could improve the club’s attack, United must avoid shelling out a fee in the region of £70million for him.
With so many quality attacking options like Sanchez, Lingard, Mata, Paul Pogba, Martial and Marcus Rashford at hand, it honestly does not make sense for United to purchase Willian for such an eye-watering fee.
The Brazilian is undoubtedly an outstanding player and can add attacking intent to several clubs – United included. However, making a move for him at this point seems wasteful, to say the at least. One might argue that Anthony Martial’s potential departure could open up room for a new winger at United. But the Frenchman prefers playing on the left-wing and United will still have Sanchez and Rashford for that role.
Regardless, it must be noted that the Red Devils lack a true-blue right-winger. Sure, Mourinho could continue relying on Lingard for the next season as well. But to improve their chances of winning the Premier League title and making an impact in Europe, it would be advisable for the club to sign a right-wing specialist. And while Willian would fit that mould, £70million is simply too high.
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Hence, perhaps Mourinho and United should scan the market a bit more before biting the bullet and signing Willian this summer.
