Willian has signed an improved deal at Chelsea which will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2020.
The four-year contract worth £120 000 a week is reward for the Brazilian’s exceptional form last season and suggests he will be an integral part of new manager Antonio Conte’s plans.
It also ends speculation that the forward might be tempted by a possible reunion with Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.
Willian, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Diego Costa have been persuaded to stay at Chelsea despite interest from other clubs and the absence of Champions League football next season.
The Brazil international was one of very few positive aspects of a disastrous title defence and cleaned up at the club’s player of the year awards.
Willian reported back for pre- season this week following the disappointment of an early exit from the Copa America.
He started all three of Brazil’s games in the USA but they failed to make it past the group stage.
The 27-year-old had two years left to run on the £85,000-a-week deal he signed in August 2013 when Chelsea beat Tottenham in a late dash to complete a £32million transfer from Anzhi Makhachkala. He had been linked to a £60m move to United.
Courtois is set to stay, too, with Conte set to bring in Gianluca Spinelli as a new goalkeeping coach to replace Christophe Lollichon.
The relationship between Courtois and Lollichon deteriorated last season to the point where it threatened to force the Belgian out of the club but he has won the power struggle.
Lollichon has been at Stamford Bridge for almost nine years, is highly regarded by the board and will remain in a different capacity as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants to maintain threads of continuity in the backroom team amid the regular managerial changes.
Steve Holland is set to continue in his first-team role and will work with Conte and his Italian coaches. – Daily Mail