It's no secret that Frank Lampard is an admirer of Willian.
The Brazilian featured heavily under the Chelsea manager in 2019/20, scoring nine goals and contributing with seven assists in his 36 Premier League appearances.
When asked about tying Willian to a new contract, Lampard made it clear just how important the former Shakhtar Dontesk man is to his future plans.
"The word isn't 'no-brainer' because I can't get involved in the money," Lampard said, per Goal. "That's up to the club to do.
"But everyone sees how much I'm relying on him, and picking him and in what he is producing, I love him at this football club. So there's my answer."
However contract negotiations between Willian and Chelsea are at a standstill, as the Blues do not want to offer the Brazilian a three-year deal due to a club policy relating to over-30s
As such, the Guardian are reporting that there's a 'growing expectation' of Willian signing for London rivals Arsenal on a free transfer this summer.
The Gunners have been linked with Willian already this season and given their lack of creativity in attacking areas, it's a signing that Mikel Arteta's side should be desperate to seal.
Only six players in the whole of the Premier League created more chances for their team than Willian (76) during the 2019/20 season.
When Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates in December, Willian created seven chances and assisted Tammy Abraham's winning goal.
Nicolas Pepe is currently the only player on Arsenal's books that bares similarities to Willian, with the Ivorian scoring five goals and assisting six more in his 31 league appearances.
But if the former Lille man is having one of his regular off days, Arsenal lack the ability to create meaningful chances.
Arteta needs another option and an experienced campaigner like Willian is just what the doctor ordered.