Willian ‘understands’ Oscar decision; wishes him all the best

Willian: Bids his team-mate all the best

Willian: Bids his team-mate all the best

Willian has defended Oscar’s decision to quit Chelsea and move to China, revealing the player has already bid his team-mates goodbye.

Brazil playmaker Oscar is set to become one of the world’s highest-paid players when he joins Shanghai SIPG in January for £52million. The move is expected to earn him£400,000 a week – though the decision to quit the Premier League for the Far East has been widely condemned by Jamie Carragher.

However, the transfer has been defended by his Brazil compatriot Willian, who told ESPN Brazil“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.”

Carragher described Oscar’s decision to move to Shanghai as embarrassing, writing in his Daily Mail column:

‘It is a sad day for football when a player about to enter his prime moves for financial reasons and nothing else.

‘The money is astronomical, but it’s not as if he is on a pittance at Chelsea.

‘This is not a move to further his career. He will talk about the league growing in China, the chance to work with Andre Villas-Boas and the excitement about a new adventure — but we all know those words will be nonsense.

‘He has gone for the size of the contract. Nothing else. Players used to look for a pay day in their mid-thirties when their career was coming to an end. We all understood that.

‘With the riches now on offer in China, I could understand a player’s head getting turned when he reaches 30 – but 25?

‘It is embarrassing that a player would give up his career and the chance to compete for the biggest prizes in the game just for money.’