Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian has revealed that he disregarded advice from his family in leaving Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in 2020. The Brazilian forward, a fan favourite in West London, swapped blue for red before enduring a disappointing season with the Gunners.
Willian opened up on his experience during a chat on HBO Max, revealing his regret at choosing to leave Chelsea for Arsenal. He pointed out that he could not connect to the Gunners fans because of the pandemic and ended up wishing to leave the club after just a few months.
"I wanted a three-year contract and Chelsea were only offering a two-year deal, so I ended up not renewing my contract. During those negotiations, Arsenal started showing interest. Many people say I should never have left Chelsea, family members as well. When I got there, it was a transition period, a lot of players left the club, others came in. I played during the pandemic as well, and that didn’t help. I couldn’t connect to the fans; the stadiums were empty", he said (via metro.co.uk).
Willian was a cult hero at Stamford Bridge before he even kicked a ball due to the nature of his transfer to the club in 2013. He had bailed on a move to Tottenham Hotspur from Anzhi Makhachkala at the last minute to sign with the Blues for a reported £30 million.
The forward enjoyed a successful spell in West London, playing 339 times and scoring 63 goals for the club. He left as a free agent in 2020, signing up to be a part of Mikel Arteta's rebuild at the Emirates. His spell in North London was short, as he scored one goal in 37 appearances before terminating his contract.
Willian has since played for Corinthians, Fulham, and Olympiacos, and is presently on the books of Gremio. His time at Stamford Bridge proved to be the most successful period of his career, as he won two league titles among several honours.
Ex-Italy star makes Manchester United claim of former Arsenal, Chelsea midfielder
Former Italy international Marco Materazzi has claimed that Cesc Fabregas will listen if Manchester United came calling this summer. The Como manager has enjoyed a hugely impressive stint in charge of the Serie A side, leading them to the cusp of European football.
Materazzi spoke to Hajper about the situation surrounding Fabregas, whose work in Italy has drawn interest from around Europe. He tipped the Spaniard to be interested in a return to the Premier League to work with Manchester United amid their hunt for a new manager.
"If Manchester United asked Cesc Fabregas he would think about it. Chelsea too", he said (via GOAL).
Cesc Fabregas has led Como to fourth place in the Serie A this season, having them above Juventus and AS Roma with seven league games to play. The former Arsenal man brought the team from Serie B ahead of the 2024-25 season, and is regarded as one of Europe's top young tacticians.