Speaking to The Athletic, former Chelsea man Willian who’s currently at Fulham, has revealed why his Arsenal stay wasn’t a success.
Mention Willian to any Arsenal fan, and they would be reminded of the 12 months of nightmare, they suffered because of the Brazilian. The former Chelsea man was signed on a free in the summer of 2020 on a three-year-deal worth a whopping £2o0,000 per week.
At the time, his arrival made sense on paper. He was Chelsea’s Player of the Year in the previous season and was showing no signs of slowing down, despite being 32.
But what unravelled, after his impressive debut against Fulham on the opening Premier League weekend of 2020/21, is better left unsaid. Nine months later he was no longer an Arsenal player.
Speaking to The Athletic, Willian didn’t dive deep into the details of his awful stay at North London but revealed one major reason why it didn’t go as planned.
“For most of the season, we were playing without fans (because of COVID-19),”
“I didn’t see Arsenal fans. Maybe I needed to feel the buzz of the crowd, that it was something I missed.”
“It was a difficult moment not just for me, but for everyone in the world. To play without fans at a new club is not easy.”
His tally of one goal and seven assists in the entirety of the season clearly made him one of the worst signings the Gunners made in the past decade. Arsenal were lucky that Willian decided to terminate his contract, which ended up saving the North London outfit approximately £17 million.
It is a testament to the player’s strong belief that money is not everything in the world. And he warrants huge respect regarding that from the club as well as the fans. I wish him all the best for his latest London adventure with Fulham.
