Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho did indeed make a concrete effort to land Willian from Chelsea, according to claims from France, but pressed ahead without the permission of vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
It’s claimed by RMC Sport, as covered by GFFN, that Chelsea received an approach from Mourinho which entailed a swap deal involving Willian and United attacker Anthony Martial.
Twitter: José Mourinho, against Ed Woodward’s wishes, tried to broker a deal with Chelsea for Willian, with Anthony Martial… https://t.co/0A0cQc0iV9 (@GFFN)
Mourinho is a well-known admirer of Brazil international Willian following his tenure at Stamford Bridge. However, it’s claimed that a deal was pursued without the go-ahead from United chief Woodward.
Chelsea refused offers from Barcelona in the summer for Willian and it seems they remained determined to fend off interest from Premier League rivals United
Willian was a wanted man throughout the summer but it’s believed that the experienced winger remains firmly in Maurizio Sarri’s plans for the future with the Blues.
