Willian, Chelsea Agree on New Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Willian has signed a new four-year contract with Chelsea that ties him to the Stamford Bridge club until 2020, the club announced on Tuesday:

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The 27-year-old Brazilian is extending his stay at Stamford Bridge until 2020 following an excellent 2015/16 season in which he was voted our best player by both fans and his team-mates.

Willian said: "I’m very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea. It’s a dream to continue with this club and over the next four years I will try to help the team win more trophies. 

"It’s been an amazing time for me since I joined the club three years ago, I’ve won titles and last season I was named Chelsea Player of the Year.

"I hope to be able to stay at that level during the coming seasons and achieve more success."

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Matt Law of the Telegraph previously reported that Willian expected a "huge pay rise" from his £85,000 a week following his excellent form in 2015/16 during a miserable season for the Blues.

Chelsea failed spectacularly in their attempts to defend their Premier League title, finishing 10th in the top flight and thus not qualifying for either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League.

Willian was one of few bright lights for the Blues in 2015-16, and Chelsea will be relieved to have tied him down.

His previous contract—signed upon his £30 million arrival from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013—was set to run until 2018, per Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard.

The 27-year-old deserves a wage increase after coming to the fore last season. Willian has always been a useful player for Chelsea, but the winger emerged as a star in 2015/16, netting five goals and providing six assists in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com.

In an uncharacteristically poor campaign for the Blues, the Brazil international was their only consistently good performer, per the Guardian's Sachin Nakrani:

He will be vital as the Blues look to challenge for the title again in 2016/17 under new manager Antonio Conte.