Chelsea unlikely to table fresh bid for Willian, says Andre Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas admits Chelsea have all but given up in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk winger Willian.

The Blues are reported to have had an offer of around £18m for the 23-year-old Brazilian turned down this week – and although the Chelsea boss describes the winger as an “extremely interesting” player, he concedes a January move is now looking highly unlikely.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Villas-Boas told his weekly news briefing on Friday. “Willian is an extremely interesting player but I don’t think we are going to progress with our interest because of different issues, from work permit to price valuation.

“Our project next year is more important than the project at the moment. Not that Willian doesn’t have that characteristic for the future, but we are betting a lot on what we can build on for next year.”

Villas-Boas’s comments come after Shakhtar Donetsk assistant manager Alexandru Spiridon claimed Chelsea’s reported bid did not meet the club’s valuation of the player, comparing the Brazilian to Belgian star Eden Hazard.

“I think the transfer fee offered by Chelsea does not match Willian’s skill. You probably know from the internet that Eden Hazard’s transfer value is £30m. Chelsea offered £16.5m for Willian.

“I do not think that Willian is weaker than Hazard, and in some components he is even stronger.”