Willian confirms Oscar already said goodbye to Chelsea teammates ahead of China move

Further confirmation of Oscar’s impending move to China for silly moneys comes from Willian, teammate at both Chelsea and, usually, the Brazilian national team, speaking to ESPN Brasil after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

“[Oscar] has already said goodbye. He's a good friend and a great player.”

“I wish him and his family all the best. A footballer's career can be quick, and when an offer like this comes in you have to think of your family. You want to be prepared for when you have to stop playing.”

-Willian; source: ESPN via ESPN Brasil

Oscar himself called the move “90 per cent” done earlier in the week, while ahead of Saturday’s match, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was already talking of Oscar in the past tense. Whatever bureaucratic details might be holding up the deal (image rights? living arrangements?) will no doubt be ironed out sooner rather than later and the move will be made official.

As Willian tells it, an offer like the one Oscar’s getting from Shanghai SIPG is simply too good to turn down. Hard to disagree with that assessment.