Arsenal
have bolstered their attacking options for next season by signing Brazil
international Willian on a three-year deal following his departure from
Chelsea.
Willian's contract with Chelsea expired after their Champions League tie
with Bayern Munich and Arsenal have beaten off competition from Barcelona
and Inter Miami to sign the 32-year-old.
Willian made 47 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions last season and
finished in fine form, with four Premier League goals after the restart
taking his tally for the season to nine.
"I decided [to join] because Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the
world," Willian said. "They have a new project with Mikel Arteta.
"I think this club 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."
Willian, who will wear No 12 at Arsenal, won two Premier League titles, an
FA Cup and the Europa League during his seven years at Chelsea.
"I believe he's a player that can really make a difference for us," said
Arteta.
"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 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, said he knew
Willian "very well".
"He has a lot of fantastic attributes as a person, as a football player of
course, his character," said 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."
Analysis: Willian arrival asks questions
of Pepe
Sky Sports' Alan Smith:
It is time to move the project forward by adding quality in certain
positions, which is not easy at all when money is tight. Willian's free
transfer from Chelsea looks like the first step, which surprised me at first
given the Brazilian's age. Just turned 32 with lots of miles on the clock,
Stamford Bridge has surely seen his best days.
So was this just a convenient move because he has the right agent? Something
foisted upon Arteta by Raul Sanllehi, the head of football? Or does Arteta
see something in Willian that can improve the team straight away?
One thing is for sure, as a right-sided attacker, his arrival asks immediate
questions of Nicolas Pepe, signed at exorbitant cost this time last year.
The Ivory Coast winger has blown hot and cold so far, which is not a great
quality in Arteta's book. Undoubtedly talented, Pepe has got to kick on if
he's going to survive because, in the short term at least, Willian can
provide great know-how and quality on that right side.
Full column: 'Smart transfers can boost Arteta's project'
Analysis: What's Arsenal's plan of attack
with Willian?
Sky Sports' Pete Gill:
When discussing the impending arrival of Willian, a recent edition of the
Transfer Talk podcast starkly asked the question of Arsenal: is this method
or madness?
On the face of it, signing Willian is certainly a little unusual. Are
Arsenal really looking at another short-term fix? Are they really planning
for the new season with a front three of Aubameyang, Lacazette and Willian
with Pepe and Bukayo Saka in reserve? Or could, as some reports suggest, the
plan be for Willian to occupy a central, playmaker role while Mesut Ozil
remains frozen out?
Trying to fathom Arsenal's intentions around this deal is as intriguing as
their willingness to offer Willian a three-year deal when Chelsea are
understood to have drawn the line at two.
Given that Aubameyang is expected to sign a new deal, Willian's arrival must
strengthen the possibility that Lacazette will depart. Although he started
the FA Cup final, Lacazette was regularly overlooked in favour of Eddie
Nketiah in the second half of the season and had, by his standards, a modest
campaign.
His departure would not only raise funds, but would surely pave the way for
Aubameyang, the league's most clinical finisher, to move back to the centre
from the wide-left position he occupied for much of 2019/20. If, in turn,
the Lacazette funds would be used to land Thomas Partey and a defender or
two, there really might be some method behind Arsenal's current
manoeuvrings.
In the meantime, the guessing game can continue as to which Arsenal forward
his arrival will impact the most: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil or Pepe?
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