ESPN FC’s Paolo Bandini shares his thoughts on Maurizio Sarri’s challenge to keep both Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea.
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri wants to talk to Thibaut Courtois face to face about his future at the club before deciding whether to let him leave.
Willian has told ESPN that Barcelona made an official bid to sign him from Chelsea this summer but he is happy to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Brazil midfielder Willian has also been a long-term target for Manchester United, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho wanting to bring his former player to Old Trafford.
“I’m a Chelsea player,” Willian told ESPN after Sunday’s Community Shield loss to Manchester City at Wembley. “I always made it clear that what I wanted was to stay in the club.
“The only club I knew that really made an official offer for me was Barcelona. But I have my head here and I intend to continue in the club unless the club wants to sell me. But my head is here in the club.”
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The possibility of Willian ending his five-year spell in west London had looked more likely following the breakdown in his relationship with former manager Antonio Conte.
However, with Conte now gone and replaced by Maurizio Sarri, Willian is looking ahead to a sixth season as a Chelsea player.
“[Sarri] is a manager who likes to play football, a manager who has a game philosophy similar to Manchester City,” the 29-year-old said. “Manchester City have been playing under Guardiola for a few years now and the players are already adapted [to his style] and already know what to do in the pitch.
“We have just started working with him [Sarri] but in the first days we have seen that he is a manager who likes to shape the game from the back, he likes to play football. It will be very important for us.”
Willian returned late from his close season break and only joined his team mates at the club’s training ground four days before the Community Shield clash, which City won 2-0 courtesy of Sergio Aguero’s brace.
Chelsea, who are looking to improve on their fifth-placed finish last season, kick off their league campaign with a trip to Huddersfield Town on Aug. 11.
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