Barcelona have reportedly seen an offer for Willian snubbed by Chelsea despite claims it would involve Malcom moving to England in a swap deal.
The 21-year-old has struggled to make a positive impact at the Nou Camp since his arrival from Bordeaux in the summer, making just 10 appearances in all competitions.
SEE MORE: Video: ‘Awful acting’ – These Barcelona fans react to Sergio Busquets’ embarrassing dive vs Levante
Meanwhile, his compatriot has continued to play a key role at Stamford Bridge under Maurizio Sarri this season, bagging four goals and six assists in 31 outings.
Nevertheless, he does turn 31 later this year and given how prominently he has featured so far this season, he hasn’t been particularly decisive on a regular basis.
In turn, with The Telegraph noting how an offer worth £50m was reportedly put on the table by Barcelona which included Malcom in a swap deal, it will perhaps come as a shock to many Chelsea fans that the Blues are said to have turned it down.
Not only would it have provided Chelsea with a cash injection, but the deal also offers a long-term replacement for Willian with Malcom showing his quality for Bordeaux last season, while he has also shown flashes for the Catalan giants.
However, despite that the Blues clearly have no real intention of letting Willian leave and so Barcelona may be forced to look elsewhere to bolster their attacking options.
Perhaps in fairness to Chelsea’s touted decision, goals have been a problem so far this season, as they’ve managed just 38 in 21 Premier League games.
That gives them the lowest tally of the top six sides, and so arguably swapping a proven and experienced option in Willian for a gamble on Malcom who hasn’t been able to impress at Barca, could be considered a sensible decision for the short-term.
With that in mind, it appears as though Barcelona’s seemingly attractive offer for the Brazilian international is set to fail with Willian likely to remain at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen if they try their luck again in the summer to try and convince Chelsea to party company with the club stalwart.
