According to a report by The Mirror, Arsenal remain keen on beating Tottenham Hotspur to the signature of Willian when his contract with Chelsea runs out in the summer.
Spurs have previously been established as the favourites to snap the winger up when he becomes a free agent (Mundo Deportivo).
Some reports in the media previously suggesting that the club have already agreed on a deal with the Chelsea star, although Willian has been quick to deny those claims (Mundo Deportivo).
Arsenal have also been suggested as a potential challenger for the winger’s signature (Telegraph).
The Mirror now claim that the Gunners were ready to offer a £250,000-a-week contract to the 31-year-old before the COVID-19 pandemic, to convince him to move to the Emirates.
However, the report expresses doubts as to whether Mikel Arteta’s side will be able to afford a similar deal given their current financial problems.
The report asserts that Spurs’ North London rivals are also interested in signing rumoured target Phillipe Coutinho but it would have to be a loan deal with Barcelona subsidising part of the 27-year-old’s wages.
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Spurs Web Opinion
While I can understand why we are prioritising moves for free agents this summer, one problem we might run into is the fact that they are likely to demand a major signing on fee and a substantial salary as they know how in-demand they are.
I certainly cannot see us offering anywhere close to £250,000 a week for a 31-year-old like Willian. Not only will that break our wage structure but our top earners might not be too happy to learn that we are willing to pay that much at a time when we are requesting them to take pay cuts.
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