Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has claimed that Willian's recent comments about his contract situation at the club are 'not ideal', but admitted that talks are still ongoing.
The Brazilian has featured 34 times in all competitions so far this season, scoring five times as well as providing five assists.
However, his contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign and, as a result, the attacker has been linked with a move to a number of top European sides. Most notably, Barcelona have long shown an interest in him, while Tottenham are also said to be keeping a watchful eye.
Willian recently admitted that he doesn't know if it will be possible to renew his deal, with the player stating
“I said I wanted three more years. The situation is difficult because of this, I really don’t know if it will be possible. My goal is to continue working and focus on the rest of the season, so that Chelsea can continue winning games. I have a clear head and am focused.”
Chelsea boss Lampard has now responded to the 31-year-old's comments, admitting that it was frustrating to see the headlines at such a pivotal point in the season. Despite this, Lampard did also confirm that talks are ongoing.
"It’s an ongoing conversation,” Lampard told reporters, as quoted by Goal. “Maybe not ideal timing but I don’t want to get too drawn into it because I am the manager of the team and don’t want to look too far [ahead].
“Some of the headlines this week had a sense of frustration for me because we're working day-to-day to finish this season and we're not jumping ahead to the summer. Willy’s one is an ongoing situation. It’s not over. We’ll see.”
The Blues are locked in a tight battle to finish within the Champions League qualification spaces. They are currently sat fourth in the Premier League, but a defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday as well as a win for Manchester United away to Everton on Sunday would see them drop to fifth in the table.
After their visit to Bournemouth, Lampard's men then host Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
It remains to be seen whether Willian will pen a new deal to remain at Stamford Bridge, but Lampard will be keen to see the forward concentrate on the remaining fixtures.
Source : 90min