Willian announced Sunday in a farewell letter to the Chelsea supporters that he has played his last match for the Blues from West London.
Now confirms Arsenal that the Brazilian continues his career at Arsenal.
Willian, who turned 32 on Sunday, has signed a three-year contract with Chelsea’s city rival, for which he played seven seasons.
– He is a player who can really make a difference for us, says manager Mikel Arteta.
– We have followed him closely over the last few months. We have had a clear intention to strengthen the team in the offensive midfield positions and on the edges. He is a player who gives us flexibility, says Arteta.
It is speculated whether the Brazilian will receive a weekly salary of around NOK 1.7 million in addition to a hefty lump sum to sign the contract. Although Willian is coming for free, the transition has been the subject of debate on social media. Arsenal recently announced that the club plans to lay off 55 employees.
After the transfer from Anzji Makhachkala in 2013, Willian has steadily won trophies at Chelsea. He won the Premier League twice, as well as the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League once. Last summer, he also won the Copa América with the Brazilian national team.
Willian scored 339 games and 63 goals for Chelsea.
Arsenal have already made the loan deals of Cédric Soares (28) and Pablo Mari (27) from Southampton and Flamengo permanent, respectively. In addition, the transition to last year’s purchase William Saliba (19), who went straight back to the club he was bought from, French Saint-Etiénne, is being completed.
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