Arsenal signed Chelsea winger but he wanted to quit after three months and left £20m contract

Amongst the various victories that Chelsea have had over Tottenham, the signing of Willian remains dear to the fanbase. The Brazilian had been with Anzhi Makhachkala for just seven months before billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov cut their spending in 2013. Willian won two Premier League titles in three years at ChelseaGetty He also won silverware on the European stageGetty A mass sale of first-team players followed and Willian left for Chelsea in a club-record sale worth a reported £30million in August. Not only did the Blues sign an energetic winger who previously shone at Shakhtar Donetsk, they also got one over their bitter London rivals. Willian travelled to Spurs for a medical ahead of an anticipated move, only for his agent Kia Joorabchian to inform him of Chelsea’s offer. In 2018, he revealed: “I said ‘So make do, I’ll get back in the van, you’ll make do and I’ll go to Chelsea, I will not sign with Tottenham.'” Spurs fumed at the transfer hijacking but for Willian, the decision to join Chelsea would ultimately deliver immense success. He won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League throughout his seven-year stay in west London. Willian was out of contract at the end of the 2019/20 season and was unable to agree new terms, so left on a free transfer to Arsenal. The Gunners gave him a three-year deal worth £240,000-a-week and two assists in a 3-0 win over Fulham marked a promising debut. However, Willian’s dip in form coincided with a dismal run of results as Arsenal found themselves sitting 15th in the Premier League. And after just three months at the club, he stated his intentions of an exit as he later 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. Willian extended his stay in London by joining ArsenalGetty But it’s a move that didn’t work out as the Gunners endured a dismal seasonGetty “So, when I arrived there I was happy, from the beginning I was motivated, I wanted to do well, new club, new mates, new projects. “After three months, I told my agent, ‘Please, I want to go’. I don’t want to speak bad about the club because it is a big club, has a big history in football, big players played there before, it’s a big club. “But it didn’t work, it was of course the most difficult time of my career.” Willian eventually had his Arsenal contract terminated in August 2021 and in doing so, walked away from around £20m. “It was big money that I gave up,” he added. “But sometimes money is not the most important thing in life. “I think you need to be happy, get pleasure every day waking up in the morning to go to train. I wasn’t having that. Willian wanted out of Arsenal just weeks after signing “I said to myself, with my family, I cannot stay here, I am not happy here. I have to leave, find a way out, leave the club, because if I stay I am going to stay the same. “For me, it’s unfair to stay in a place that you don’t want to stay just because of the money. For me, it was that.” Willian scored only one goal in 37 appearances for Arsenal before returning to Corinthians in Brazil. However, he spent just one year back at his boyhood club following sickening threats made to him and his family. “I did not return to be threatened,” he insisted. “When Corinthians lost a game or I didn’t play well, my family received death threats and ranting on social media. “At first they targeted my wife and daughters, after a while my father and sister were also bombarded with messages.” A return to Corinthians also came to a premature end due to death threatsGetty But he found his spark again across two stints at FulhamGetty Willian landed back in the Premier League in 2022 with Fulham and spent two seasons at Chelsea’s west London neighbours. The former Brazilian international then signed with Olympiacos in Greece but after less than four months, he returned to Fulham. Cottagers vice-chairman Tony Khan told talkSPORT in February that the winger was ‘chomping at the bit’ to come back. “Willian is a Fulham man, he’s been a great player for us for the last couple of seasons. “When you look at the contributions Willian’s made on and off the pitch, what a fantastic man! We all love Willian, and it made so much sense for him to return to the football club right now.” It was announced in June that Willian would not remain at Craven Cottage, with the 36-year-old now a free agent. Watch all of the FIFA Club World Cup free on DAZN. Sign up now so you don’t miss any of the action. *Clicking on a DAZN link in this article may earn talkSPORT affiliate revenue

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Arsenal signed Chelsea winger but he wanted to quit after three months and left £20m contract

Amongst the various victories that Chelsea have had over Tottenham, the signing of Willian remains dear to the fanbase.

The Brazilian had been with Anzhi Makhachkala for just seven months before billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov cut their spending in 2013.

Willian won two Premier League titles in three years at Chelsea

He also won silverware on the European stage

A mass sale of first-team players followed and Willian left for Chelsea in a club-record sale worth a reported £30million in August.

Not only did the Blues sign an energetic winger who previously shone at Shakhtar Donetsk, they also got one over their bitter London rivals.

Willian travelled to Spurs for a medical ahead of an anticipated move, only for his agent Kia Joorabchian to inform him of Chelsea’s offer.

In 2018, he revealed: “I said ‘So make do, I’ll get back in the van, you’ll make do and I’ll go to Chelsea, I will not sign with Tottenham.'”

Spurs fumed at the transfer hijacking but for Willian, the decision to join Chelsea would ultimately deliver immense success.

He won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League throughout his seven-year stay in west London.

Willian was out of contract at the end of the 2019/20 season and was unable to agree new terms, so left on a free transfer to Arsenal.

The Gunners gave him a three-year deal worth £240,000-a-week and two assists in a 3-0 win over Fulham marked a promising debut.

However, Willian’s dip in form coincided with a dismal run of results as Arsenal found themselves sitting 15th in the Premier League.

And after just three months at the club, he stated his intentions of an exit as he later 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.

Willian extended his stay in London by joining Arsenal

But it’s a move that didn’t work out as the Gunners endured a dismal season

“So, when I arrived there I was happy, from the beginning I was motivated, I wanted to do well, new club, new mates, new projects.

“After three months, I told my agent, ‘Please, I want to go’. I don’t want to speak bad about the club because it is a big club, has a big history in football, big players played there before, it’s a big club.

“But it didn’t work, it was of course the most difficult time of my career.”

Willian eventually had his Arsenal contract terminated in August 2021 and in doing so, walked away from around £20m.

“It was big money that I gave up,” he added. “But sometimes money is not the most important thing in life.

“I think you need to be happy, get pleasure every day waking up in the morning to go to train. I wasn’t having that.

Willian wanted out of Arsenal just weeks after signing

“I said to myself, with my family, I cannot stay here, I am not happy here. I have to leave, find a way out, leave the club, because if I stay I am going to stay the same.

“For me, it’s unfair to stay in a place that you don’t want to stay just because of the money. For me, it was that.”

Willian scored only one goal in 37 appearances for Arsenal before returning to Corinthians in Brazil.

However, he spent just one year back at his boyhood club following sickening threats made to him and his family.

“I did not return to be threatened,” he insisted. “When Corinthians lost a game or I didn’t play well, my family received death threats and ranting on social media.

“At first they targeted my wife and daughters, after a while my father and sister were also bombarded with messages.”

A return to Corinthians also came to a premature end due to death threats

But he found his spark again across two stints at Fulham

Willian landed back in the Premier League in 2022 with Fulham and spent two seasons at Chelsea’s west London neighbours.

The former Brazilian international then signed with Olympiacos in Greece but after less than four months, he returned to Fulham.

Cottagers vice-chairman Tony Khan told talkSPORT in February that the winger was ‘chomping at the bit’ to come back.

“Willian is a Fulham man, he’s been a great player for us for the last couple of seasons.

“When you look at the contributions Willian’s made on and off the pitch, what a fantastic man! We all love Willian, and it made so much sense for him to return to the football club right now.”

It was announced in June that Willian would not remain at Craven Cottage, with the 36-year-old now a free agent.

Watch all of the FIFA Club World Cup free on DAZN. Sign up now so you don’t miss any of the action.

*Clicking on a DAZN link in this article may earn talkSPORT affiliate revenue