ARSENAL reportedly had a huge contract offer on the table for Willian before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
A squad wage cut is just one of the measures implemented at Emirates Stadium as the financial consequences of the crisis are laid bare.
According to the Mirror, the Gunners were preparing a £250,000-a-week deal to woo Chelsea winger Willian for a free transfer this summer.
The Brazilian’s contract expires at the end of the season after he signed a short-term extension in West London.
But the prospect of a longer renewal appears slim after the Blues reportedly decided against matching the three-year deal sought by the 31-year-old.
Nevertheless, Frank Lampard has maintained that talks are ongoing with Willian.
In April, the player admitted: “Everyone knows that my contract ends now in a few months, so the renewal is really a difficult thing to happen.
“I think it will be very difficult for me to renew because Chelsea offered me two years, I asked for three and it ended there, we didn’t talk anymore, we didn’t negotiate anymore.
“Three years – Chelsea said it would be impossible, so for now there’s this difficulty, but nothing is impossible.”
Manchester United, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain are all linked with a move ahead of the pandemic-affected market opening.
Free agents are expected to be in high demand as clubs struggle to afford chunky transfer fees.
Arsenal, in particular, may have to sell before they can buy with top-earner Mesut Ozil unlikely to leave.
The Gunners also face a fight to keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of his contract expiring in 2021, although David Luiz, Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari have all been signed up to remain at the club next season.
