Willian Plays Down January Exit Talk Amid Manchester United, Barcelona Rumours

Willian has played down speculation linking him with Manchester United and Barcelona ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Metro, he is a target for United after the club held talks with his camp in the summer, while he has been reported as an alternative to Philippe Coutinho and Mesut Ozil on Barcelona's wishlist.

However, he said on Tuesday:

"The fans can be calm [about him leaving]. I am a Chelsea player and I am very pleased with the way I have been playing in recent weeks. When I play I always try to do my best. I try to help the team to play well, to score goals and make assists. Against Huddersfield I did that with my team-mates."

Willian spoke after helping Chelsea record a 3-1 win over Huddersfield Town. As OptaJoe demonstrated, he played a key role in the victory:

He set up Tiemoue Bakayoko for the Blues' opener after some link-up play with Eden Hazard before heading home Marcos Alonso's cross himself, and he also teed up Pedro to round out the win.

As Goal's Nizaar Kinsella noted, his performance came amid criticism from some sections of Chelsea's support:

However, while his form has dipped on occasion, much of the ire directed his way would appear quite harsh, particularly as he has now contributed five goals and seven assists from 12 starts in all competitions this season.

Vaishali Bhardwaj of the Evening Standard gave her take on the Brazilian's performance against Huddersfield and his situation this season under manager Antonio Conte:

While the 29-year-old may not be a star player in the side, he's shown this season and throughout his time at Chelsea he still has plenty to contribute even if he is perhaps not quite good enough to be considered a guaranteed starter at the club.

Chelsea should also be cautious about letting him join a rival, particularly United, after they deemed Nemanja Matic surplus to requirements only for him to prove an invaluable asset at Old Trafford.