Willian hoping Shakhtar Donetsk will grant his wish for Chelsea move

FC Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Chelsea

UEFA Champions League - 6 months ago

• Brazilian also interested in joining Milan or Internazionale
• 'I would like to play in a big team in a big tournament'

by David Hytner 6 months ago

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The Shakhtar Donetsk forward Willian is determined to leave the Ukrainian champions and says that he wants to join Chelsea, Milan or Internazionale. The attacking midfielder has been a transfer target for Chelsea and he demonstrated his worth with a thrilling performance against them in his team's 2-1 Champions League victory on Tuesday night.

Shakhtar priced Chelsea out of a move for Willian last January – they value him at upwards of £25m – and their stance remains that he is not for sale. But the 24-year-old Brazilian, who is under contract until the summer of 2014, sounded increasingly frustrated at his employers, who also blocked an approach from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Willian spoke as he clutched a Chelsea shirt that was given to him by a fan after Tuesday's game, which had two question marks on the back where the number should go. It ought to be noted that Chelsea are well-stocked with attacking midfielders who can play wide or centrally after a summer spending spree.

"I would like to move from Shakhtar, my work here is complete," Willian said. "I would like to play in a big team in a big tournament, like the Premier League or Serie A. I like Chelsea, Milan and Inter. I have always followed the two Italian teams because my role models when I was young were Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, and they played for those teams.

"I knew that Chelsea wanted me in the past but the club didn't want me to leave. I think it was about the price. I still have two seasons left on my contract at Shakhtar and the only thing I can do is keep playing well, try to go on in the Champions League and hope to move next year. My dream is to play with the seleção in the World Cup in Brazil and I will have more chance to realise the dream if I play for a big team."