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Arsenal winger Willian has opened up about his departure from Chelsea last summer. The Brazilian spent eight years at Stamford Bridge before joining the Gunners as a free agent.
Willian had an impressive Arsenal debut, providing multiple assists in a 3-0 win over Fulham in the opening Premier League weekend. However, he has since been underwhelming and inconsistent in his performances. The winger has failed to score in 26 appearances for the club, having only provided four assists so far this season.
The former Chelsea man has come under much criticism for his performances by fans and football pundits, who believe he does not have much left to offer.
Speaking to Brazilian journalist Mauro Cezar Pereira earlier this week, Willian detailed how his transfer to Arsenal came about. He explained (via ESPN):
"It was difficult to make that decision, it wasn’t easy. Because, as you said, the rivalry between the two clubs is very big. It wasn’t an easy decision to leave Chelsea for Arsenal. It was well thought out, a thoughtful decision, talking to my wife and even the agent many times."
When asked why he decided to leave Chelsea, the Brazilian seemed irked and said:
"Look, I think some fans asked this question. But the majority understood because I didn’t leave the club with a fight, I left the doors open. Everyone knew the conditions, I really wanted to stay. We ended up not finding an agreement, I ended up asking for three years, Chelsea wanted to give two, and everyone knows this story. That’s why I ended up leaving."
Willian signed a three-year contract with Arsenal, where he was reunited with his compatriot and former Chelsea teammate David Luiz.
Mikel Arteta and Edu convinced Willian to leave Chelsea for Arsenal
Willian also stated that Mikel Arteta and Edu were instrumental in convincing him to leave Chelsea for Arsenal. He said:
"And one of the things that made me decide to go to Arsenal was really the various conversations I had with Mikel Arteta, with Edu too. They convinced me to go there that it’d be a really cool project, that it’d be really good for me to be able to go there. That I’d be a very important player in the squad. That they wanted to change the philosophy of the club, to make it possible for Arsenal to fight again in the Premier League, to play in the Champions League again."
He continued:
"So there were several conversations I had, several conversations that ended up pleasing me, so that’s why I ended up making this decision. But it really wasn’t easy to make that decision, it had to be well thought out."
