Former Chelsea and Arsenal Midfielder, Willian recently featured in an episode of ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE’.
The Brazilian spoke on a wide array of topics, additionally, he opened the lid on what transpired behind the scenes eventually leading to his premature departure from Arsenal.
Including certain noteworthy takeaways, here are the information fans received via the interview.
Reason for departure from Arsenal
Willian signed for the Gunners at the beginning of the 20/21 season, after rejecting an offer for renewal from his old club Chelsea due to a disagreement on the contract length.
At the time, the Brazilian was touted as one of the finest midfielders in the league on the back of his impressive spell with the Blues.
Naturally, his move to the Gunners was surrounded by expectations, especially with his premium wages taken into account.
Alas, it was not to be as Willian played 37 times in the Arsenal Red, scoring just once.
The Brazilian to his credit eventually decided to mutually terminate his lucrative contact, opting to do his trade elsewhere, proving that money wasn’t the main incentive.
Speaking on what went wrong, Willian said –
“I was not happy, that’s why I didn’t perform. I don’t want to go into the details, but I wasn’t happy”.
“After three months, I told my agent ‘please, I want to go”.
The former Chelsea man added that the flak he received from Arsenal fans on social media added to the deterioration of his morale at the Emirates, even suggesting that his association with Chelsea had something to do with their animosity towards him.
Take on Chelsea
The former Chelsea no 10, remains a cult figure at the Bridge.
Having his fair share of admirers and critics amongst the Chelsea Faithful, Willian remains a divisive player.
Nonetheless, the Brazilian enjoyed a wonderful spell at the Blues as far as silverware is concerned. And his remarks in the interview made it clear that there’s no bad blood between him and the club.
When asked about the club he supports, Willian clearly stated where his loyalties lie –
“I respect Arsenal, but I support Chelsea”.
Furthermore, when asked about his favourite Blues players, Willian responded by stating a few names from Chelsea’s current crop of young talents.
He singled out fullback Reece James in particular, further adding that the English International has the potential to be “one of the world’s best”.
Check out the full interview below –
