- Chelsea ace Willian has been linked with a move to Man Utd
- Brazilian responds to journalist over claim he is talking with Palmeiras
- It remains to be seen if a switch to Old Trafford is a possibility
- READ MORE: Lionel Messi urges Barcelona to seal transfer of Chelsea star after Real Madrid development
Rumoured Man Utd target and Chelsea ace Willian has seemingly handed former boss Jose Mourinho a boost having ruled out a return to Brazil.
As per the Manchester Evening News, the 29-year-old is the subject of interest from United, who are reportedly set to make a move for him in the January transfer window.
Whether that materialises still remains to be seen as Mourinho was heavily linked with bringing in a winger during the summer, but he failed to do so and so perhaps there is still a position in his squad to be filled.
Willian could still be an option come the New Year, as he took to Twitter to respond to a transfer rumour linking him with a return to Brazil with Palmeiras.
“Hello Sandro, how are you? Sorry, but I’m not negotiating with Palmeiras and my agent has received no contact from the club. I have no plans to return to Brazil right now,” his tweet to a Brazilian journalist read, as seen below.
With Palmeiras and a return to his homeland not an option, that still leaves the possibility of a switch to Old Trafford on the table as per speculation, and given his limited role under Antonio Conte so far this season, it could become a more attractive proposition as the season goes on.
Oi Sandro, tudo bem? Desculpe, mas não estou negociando com o Palmeiras e meu empresário não recebeu nenhum contato do clube. Não tenho nenhum plano de voltar ao Brasil nesse momento. Um abraço!
— Willian (@willianborges88) November 20, 2017
The Brazilian international has made 18 appearances in all competitions, scoring just once while adding three assists to his contribution to the team.
However, he’s been used as a substitute for the last four Premier League games, along with the last three Champions League outings, with Conte preferring other options as Willian struggles to secure regular playing time.
In turn, it’s easy to see where the talk of a move elsewhere comes from, be it Brazil or Man Utd, and with the World Cup coming up next summer, Willian will want to be playing regularly and it remains to be seen whether that’s in Manchester, west London or perhaps somewhere else come the start of February.