Nottingham Forest are now confident of signing Willian on a free transfer. The winger has held face-to-face talks with Steve Cooper recently and things are progressing.
According to The Evening Standard, the Reds are now quietly convinced that they can sign the Brazilian. Fulham want him back at Craven Cottage too; whilst the player also has offers from Saudi Arabia to ponder.
At 34-years-old, Willian is hardly going to be a signing for the future. However, he enjoyed a steady campaign during 2022/23, scoring five goals and claiming six assists in 30 appearances for Fulham.
Marco Silva was a huge fan of Willian who scored against Forest during a 2-0 win in February. He called the player ‘world-class’ during an interview with ESPN.
Willian is a seasoned professional when it comes to the Premier League. He’s also played for Arsenal and Chelsea; winning two Premier League titles and the Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.
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When he was at Chelsea, Frank Lampard heaped praise on him. He called him ‘immense’ following a 4-1 win over Southampton back in 2019.
Forest are definitely on the lookout for another wide option this summer. Incidentally, Willian can operate on either flank or through the middle, as he did with Fulham last season.
It’s not really clear why Fulham didn’t tie him down sooner. He proved a useful player for them and it’s perhaps surprising that they didn’t act quicker, although he has rejected a new deal with them previously.
Forest confident of signing Willian
This one has come out of the blue somewhat. Willian has a number of clubs chasing him and he did prove last season that he can still play in the Premier League.
His goal in February against Forest was brilliant. It actually won the Goal of the Month award for that particular month in the Premier League and showcased that he’s still got some quality.
It’s not clear what the finances would be on this one. The report does say that the player will likely earn more than he did at Fulham with Forest and perhaps he’s been convinced by the package.
Cooper speaking to him face-to-face will have helped too. The head coach has really bought into the ethos at Forest and he will be capable of convincing plenty of players to sign for the club.