Brazilian footballer, Willian, has finally drawn the curtains on his stay at Chelsea which spanned a period of seven years.
On Friday, August 14, 2020, Willian completed his move to Arsenal on a three-year deal.
His move to Arsenal was a great sacrifice as he had interests from Barcelona and Inter Miami.
Willian stated that “I decided [to join] because Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
His move to the Emirates is expected to help Arsenal
bolster their attacking options for next season.
Willian’s contract with Chelsea expired after their Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich and Arsenal have beaten off competition from Barcelona and Inter Miami to sign the 32-year-old.
Willian said “I think this club (Arsenal) deserves to shine again and I want to be a part of this project – to be a part of the Arsenal family is amazing. I’m very happy to do that.”
“I come to try to win trophies, because this club deserves to win again, and I think you have to do the best as possible to win every game. I always train hard and go on the pitch giving 100 per cent to help this team to win games and to win titles as well,” according to him.
He will wear No 12 at Arsenal.
During his seven years at Chelsea, Willian won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and the Europa League.
“I believe he’s a player that can really make a difference for us,” Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta, said of Willian.
“We have been monitoring him for the past few months, we had a clear intention to strengthen in the attacking midfielder and the winger positions [and] he is a player that gives us a lot of versatility, he can play in three or four different positions,” he stated.
“He has the experience of everything in the football world but to still have the ambition to come here and contribute to bring the club where it belongs. I have been really impressed with all the talks I have had with him and how much he wanted to come.”
Willian remains a key part of Brazil’s national squad, having made 70 appearances since making his debut in 2011.
Arsenal technical director Edu, who also represented Brazil, indicated that he knew Willian “very well”.
“He has a lot of fantastic attributes as a person, as a football player of course, his character,” according to Edu.
“I’m 100 per cent sure that everybody in the dressing room, the fans, myself and Mikel will enjoy having Willian in our side.”
By Melvin Tarlue