If you’re still paying attention to football news and rumors — and if not, then why are you reading this? — you will have seen by now the stories about Willian and his “favorable conditions” in negotiating a free transfer with Liverpool.
Yes, that Liverpool, the Premier League champions-elect. Yes, that Willian, who wants a three-year contract at age 31, going on 32. Your BS radar should be firing just at the thought of any of that.
The rumors have made their way up the trustworthiness scale, from sites to blogs to the Mail and to the BBC’s gossip section. They all link back to one source, Sport Witness, whom we’ve relied on many times in the past as well.
They point to an (unlinked) article from Barcelona-based sports daily, Sport, with a screenshot of Thursday’s edition to support the claim that buried deep inside a spread on Philippe Coutinho’s future and agent Kia Joorabchian’s attempts to engineer a move (nothing new there and no progress) there’s an off-hand mention of Liverpool negotiating with Willian.
BOOM, right?
Well, maybe.
The source article (no byline) is now online as well — here — and the print edition can also be read via PressReader.
“The ‘blue’ club is one step away from losing William for next season and Lampard needs a replacement. Coutinho has a similar profile being younger. William is negotiating with Liverpool in very favorable conditions due to the fact that he ends his contract at the end of the course and would go free.”
That’s it. That’s the claim.
LOL. (I mean if Willian can get three years out of Liverpool, then more power to him.)
It’s truly a shame that the COVID-19 pandemic has deprived us of football, but has not deprived us of transfer rumor silliness.
Willian | Chelsea player said to be in ‘favourable’ negotiations over Liverpool transfer.https://t.co/SPWRcgB9AR #cfc #lfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) April 23, 2020