Arsenal announces the signing of Brazilian Willian, a contract for three seasons
Arsenal announced today the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Willian to his ranks on a three-year contract, after he became a free player by the expiration of his contract with London's neighbor Chelsea this summer. "The Brazilian international Willian has signed a three-year contract to join us before the 2020-2021 season," Arsenal said in a statement, noting that the 32-year-old striker has rich experience and played more than 600 club matches in a career spanning 13 seasons.
Willian spent seven seasons with arch-neighbor Chelsea, during which he won the Premier League twice, in addition to the English Cup and European League "Europa League". Willian, according to the Arsenal official website, played 339 matches for Chelsea, during which he scored 63 goals and 56 assists. Arsenal's Spanish coach, Michael Arteta, praised his new player, saying, "I think he is a player who can really make a difference for us. We have been watching him for the past few months. We had a clear intention to strengthen the attacking midfield and the central winger."
"A player who gives us a lot of diversity, he can play in three or four different positions. He has experience with everything in the world of football, but he still has the ambition to come here and contribute to leading the club to where he belongs. He impressed me through all the conversations," he said. That I had with him and how much he wanted to come (to Arsenal). "
Willian arrived in Chelsea in 2013 from the Russian Anji Makhachkala, after he had previously defended the colors of his compatriot Corinthians, where he began his career in the age groups, and chose Danetsk, the Ukrainian.
The champion of the English Cup competition for this season revealed that Willian, who played 70 matches for the Brazilian national team and participated with him in the 2014 and 2018 Mondiales and the last three editions of the Copa America (2015, 2016 and 2019 when he was crowned), will wear the number 12 in the "Gunners".