Chelsea FC has been busy signing new faces but manager Frank Lampard has current manpower problems. There are several players on expiring deals such as Willian Borges Da Silva and Pedro Rodriguez who have not yet gotten new deals. And based on the latest reports, Lampard may want to address the situation of the Brazilian first.
Originally, Willian was seeking a three-year deal from the Blues. Unfortunately, Chelsea was only willing to offer him a two-year pact. This led to speculations that the 31-year-old may be moving out of Stamford Bridge. But the landscape changed when the COVID-19 pandemic came in. With most teams facing financial distress, Willian softened his stance. The Brazilian is aware that other clubs may not give in to his demand for a long-term deal, something that may extend up to next season. Willian is now willing to agree to a short-term (temporary) deal, shelving his long-term demand at least until next summer.
As of this writing, Lampard has yet to sit down and talk with Willian about a new deal. But if Pedro’s recent take is to be considered, the 41-year-old coach may want to work on that first before discussing Pedro’s new deal. From the looks of it, both players will be offered short-term deals – not because they are not deserving of long-term pacts but due to the covering coronavirus situation.
Pedro made it clear that he will only sign if Willian signs, The Sun reported. This is likely because the Spaniard wants to make sure that his teammate is still around after this season. Both Willian and Pedro have expiring deals at the end of the current season.
So far, only Willy Caballero and Oliver Giroud have signed one-year deals. Given that Lampard is busy trying to build a competitive team, there is no telling when he will start sitting down with Willian. Considering the Blues will be returning to action soon, this could be a distraction that the club does not need.
Pedro is also monitoring the movement of other teams. This includes the situation of David Silva of Manchester City. Like Willian and Pedro, Silva’s contract will also run out after the current season. Pep Guardiola has yet to address the situation of the 34-year-old although he is likely to get a similar short-term deal from City.
A deal for Willian is likely to be made in the coming weeks. Once that is settled, Lampard can focus his attention on Pedro, giving Chelsea fans a big sigh of relief.
