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Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright has lauded Fulham star Willian for the way he handled his departure from the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal signed former Chelsea star Willian as a free agent in August 2020. The Brazilian winger failed to find his footing in north London and left for Corinthians merely a year after joining the Gunners. On deadline day (September 1) this season, Willian returned to the English Premier League, signing for Fulham on a free transfer. He has performed admirably for Marco Silva’s side, scoring a goal and claiming an assist in five appearances in the English top flight.
Willian’s resurgence has pleased Wright greatly. The forward-turned-pundit has looked back on Willian's spell in north London, lauding him for terminating his contract without a payoff amid struggles. Speaking about his sacrifice on the Wrighty’s House Podcast, the former West Ham United man said (via HITC):
“Willian looks like he has a new lease of life. I’m very pleased for him, especially with the way he checked out of Arsenal saying ‘listen, this isn’t working, keep your money, I’m going to move on.’ Pure class. He left a shedload of money on the table and I’m not sure many Arsenal fans know that, I hope they do. But he’s gone there and he’s found his life and love of football again.”
According to estimates, Willian saved the north London outfit a staggering £20 million in wages when he tore up his contract. Willian featured in 37 games for Mikel Arteta’s men in the 2020-21 season, scoring once and claiming seven assists in 37 games across competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could spend up to £50 million to strengthen Premier League bid
The Gunners have enjoyed a blistering start to the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, emerging as league leaders with 28 points after 11 rounds of fixtures. According to the Sun (via Football365), the board is ready to back Arteta’s side's title bid and is prepared to bankroll £50 million for January signings.
It is believed that the Gunners are likely to try to sign a new central midfielder and a new winger, a couple of areas they failed to strengthen in the summer. Palmeiras' Danilo, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Villarreal’s Yeremy are three of the names mentioned by the source. While Danilo could cost the club around £26 million, Yeremy and Mudryk could be available for £25 million.
