Willian Agrees to a Contract with Arsenal

Willian of Chelsea in 2019
Willian of Chelsea in 2019. Photo by Kieran McManus/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (10199888bb)

Brazilian forward Willian decided to leave Chelsea after his contract expires this month, but he will still remain in London. According to reports from Europe, Willian agreed to join Chelsea’s crosstown rival Arsenal.

ESPN reports that Willian will ink a three-year deal, which will pay him around $120,000 per week. The deal is expected to be made official later this month.

Willian and Chelsea have been locked in contract negotiations for the better part of the year, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement. The 31-year-old forward said on numerous occasions that he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge and even said last month that he would sign immediately if the club is prepared to offer him a three-year contract.

“I asked the club for three years of the contract,” he told De Sola YouTube channel in July. “If you give me that, I’ll get the pen and sign the contract tomorrow.”

Chelsea, however, didn’t want to commit and was only offering two-years. It didn’t even help that club’s manager Frank Lampard was making a push for the front office to keep Willian.

Arsenal, on the other hand, didn’t have issues with giving Willian what he wants, hoping he will provide them with the creativity they badly needed this season.

Willian joined Chelsea in 2013 from the Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. He made 338 appearances in all competitions for the club since scoring 63 goals and helping the Premier League side to win five trophies, including two domestic titles.