Football is sometimes a game of chance as some transfers go well and others go badly. For Arsenal, Willian’s transfer from Chelsea is one that will rank high in the history of the club’s worst transfers.
From the very onset, there was lots of criticism about the Gunners signing a ‘reject’ from Chelsea, especially given the failure of signings from their west London rivals.
Willian joined Arsenal in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer. He was placed on wages of 240,000 per week, and that only brought about more questions regarding the deal. It made no sense at the time to offer that kind of package to a 32-year-old.
In 37 total appearances for the Gunners, Willian only managed one goal and seven assists in what was a largely underwhelming stint at the Emirates.
After failing to impress at the club, shouts from fans asking the club to get rid of the Brazilian seemed to increase with each passing game. However, his wages proved to be a herculean task.
With two years still left on his three-year deal signed in 2020, Willian has now taken a decision that shocked everyone.
Willian terminates his Arsenal contract
It’s deadline day and that surely means lots of surprises and quick activity. You can follow up for more of the latest transfer news here on Betpack.
Speaking about surprises, not many would have expected Willian to walk away from £20.5m. The Brazilian could have decided to stay put at the club on £240,000 a week until 2023 or even demand a pay-off. However, he did none of both and decided to take a professional approach to the whole matter.
A statement on the Arsenal website late on Monday night surprisingly mentioned that the Brazilian decided to leave on a mutual basis.
Further reports even claimed that the Arsenal board andctors were surprised at the gesture from the Brazilian.
Willian explains why he terminated Arsenal contract
In a post made later on his Instagram account, Willian took time out to send a goodbye message to the Arsenal fans, inclusive of the reason why he decided to tear up his contract.
The 33-year-old said he came to Arsenal with the aim of becoming a key player and helping them to win trophies. However, he was bold to achieve he was far from doing any of that and based on that, he decided it was time to seek a new challenge.
Willian will now rejoin former side Corinthians, his native Brazilian side, before he moved to Europe. In fact, he will take a massive 70% pay cut to go back to Brazil. The 33-year-old can duly say he left the Premier League with his shoulders held high after his latest act.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
