Chelsea are set to continue talks over a new contract for Brazilian star Willian, despite the confirmed arrival of Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech.
The Blues announced Ziyech as a new Chelsea player on Thursday in a deal worth an initial £33.3m, which may rise to £36.7m in the form of bonuses.
But the big-money signing of the Moroccan star will not affect the negotiations over an extension for Willian, according to The Independent, and both club and player are keen to find to a resolution before the end of the season.
The 31-year-old's contract expires in June, and with Chelsea's famous reluctance to offer more than one-year extensions to their over-30 stars, talks have reached a stalemate. But they are both confident of arriving at an agreement, and the Blues have previously bent the rules over their ageing stars in recent years, handing longer deals to the likes of David Luiz and Olivier Giroud.
Willian is aiming to secure a three-year deal at Stamford Bridge, but there is likely to be a compromise between the two parties.
The future of the Brazil international will be being closely watched by some of Europe's biggest teams, with Barcelona having shown regular interest in bringing the winger to Camp Nou in recent years.
Fellow winger Pedro may too be on the way out of Stamford Bridge at the end of the current campaign, as his contract is also set to expire, so a positive conclusion over Willian's future may become a priority for Frank Lampard.
Willian has been a loyal servant to Chelsea since his arrival from
The former Shakhtar Donetsk star has featured 24 times in the league for the Blues this season, and he has proved to be an experienced head among a team of exciting youth academy products.
Source : 90min