United target Chelsea star Willian
UNITED HOLD TALKS WITH CHELSEA STAR’S REPRESENTATIVES
UNITED have held informal talks with Chelsea winger Willian’s representatives ahead of the summer transfer window.
The M.E.N. understands the Brazilian’s representatives held preliminary discussions with United this month to gauge the possibility of concluding a deal, with the summer window opening today.
Jose Mourinho brought Willian, 29, to Chelsea in 2013 and attempted to re-sign the Brazil international in 2016, when he also made a similar approach to Willian’s then-Chelsea team-mate Nemanja Matic.
Willian is contracted to Chelsea until 2020 but his age and the length of his deal mean his value will dwindle drastically next year.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk player is represented by Kia Joorabchian – who United have not dealt with since Carlos Tevez left the club in 2009.
Although Mourinho said he has no intention of making attacking additions this summer, he is prepared to make an exception for Willian.
The United attack is devoid of a right-wing specialist, with Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata more productive through the middle, while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have struggled to perform there. Willian turns 30 in December and is viewed as an ideal option to bridge the gap between academy talent Tahith Chong graduating from the U23s into the first-team squad.
Mourinho has spoken effusively of Willian since he was sacked by Chelsea two-and-a-half years ago in a campaign that Willian was later voted the club’s player of the year.
Willian’s commitment to Mourinho cemented his trust and the Portuguese has twice attempted to re-sign him.
A drawback of Willian’s potential switch is he could miss United’s entire pre-season due to World Cup commitments but Mourinho is confident Willian’s Premier League experience would allow him to slot into the United squad seamlessly.
“FINALS are not for playing – they are for winning.”
In a season where Jose Mourinho’s methods, philosophy and playing style have rightly been questioned, United chiefs would not want anyone else in the dugout for Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.
The Portuguese has a remarkable record on the big occasion and has won 12 of his 14 cup finals since lifting the UEFA Cup with Porto way back in 2003.
That is an 86 per cent win percentage in one-off games where the pressure is never greater. So how does he do it? One of the open secrets of Mourinho’s success throughout the years is how he approaches a final in the same manner he would a thirdround clash with Derby County – taking the pressure off his players in the process.
There is no extra detail in the scouting reports the players are handed in the days beforehand, the team talk does not necessarily carry greater emotion.
In fact, as always, Mourinho leaves it to a player or colleague to have the final word in the dressing room on the grandest stage.
But there is a common thread throughout his time with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and United – enjoying the celebrations rather than the final itself.
Doing whatever it takes – personnel or philosophy-wise – to get the win.
It has got to the point now where the opposition are expecting Mourinho to pull something out of the hat as former player Thibaut Courtois touched on.
“I think he always has surprises,” the Chelsea goalkeeper said. “I think in the games he played against us he always had different systems to play.
“Sometimes he played three at the back, sometimes four, sometimes he had a way to block our two wingers so he will always find something to be at his best.”
Despite the opposition often dominating possession, as Bayern Munich did in the 2010 Champions League final and Ajax did in the Europa League final last year, Mourinho always feels that his side are in control and he has never lost a final in normal time.
The players feed off that – naturally raising their game on the big stage and bouncing off Mourinho’s biggame record – without necessarily delivering one of the great final performances.
Tellingly, only four of his final wins have come with a margin greater than a single goal, which points to another tight affair.
United fans would rather be preparing for a Champions League final, but Mourinho will treat this clash with Chelsea in the same manner he would facing Real Madrid in Kiev.
One of Mourinho’s proudest ever achievements was winning the FA Cup for the first, and only, time back in 2007 and climbing those famous steps as a victor in one of football’s oldest tournaments.
Mourinho grew up watching the competition on television with his father, even supporting Coventry in the 1987 final, and badgered Sir Bobby Robson for stories of his cup runs with Ipswich when he worked as his assistant.
Now he has the chance to go one better than his mentor and win the FA Cup for the second time – and he will be desperate to do it.