Former Chelsea winger Willian has admitted that leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal in 2020 was one of the biggest mistakes of his football career, revealing that he wanted to leave the Emirates Stadium just three months after completing his move to north London.
The Brazilian, who spent seven successful years at Chelsea, opened up about his disappointing Arsenal experience during an appearance on The Obi One Podcast, hosted by his former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel.
Willian explained that although he initially wanted to remain at Chelsea, a disagreement over the length of his contract eventually influenced his decision to join Arsenal.
At the time, the winger wanted a three-year extension at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea were only prepared to offer him a two-year deal. Arsenal, on the other hand, were willing to offer him the three-year contract he wanted.
The opportunity to remain in London with his family also played an important role in his decision.
However, what initially appeared to be an exciting new chapter quickly turned into a frustrating experience for the Brazilian.
According to Willian, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had personally convinced him to join the club by promising him a central role in the team’s project.
He recalled how Arteta assured him that he would become the main player around whom the team would be built.
“Arteta said to me: ‘We’re going to play like this, I want you to be the main guy. I will build the team around you. I want to give you the key to the club’,” Willian revealed.
The assurances convinced him that Arsenal offered the right environment to continue his career, particularly with the opportunity to secure a longer contract.
However, the reality after arriving at the Emirates Stadium was different from what he had anticipated.
Willian admitted that he quickly became frustrated after discovering that things were not happening as he had expected, eventually informing his agent that he wanted to leave the club.
“To be honest, I should have stayed at Chelsea. But at that moment I was thinking maybe the best solution was to go to Arsenal,” he said.
“They sold me a dream and it wasn’t a good dream.”
He added: “I got frustrated. I am not saying it is their fault, but when you heard a lot of things and then you join the club, things that are not the same as what they told me, I got frustrated straight away.”
The former Brazil international further revealed that it took him only three months to realise that his decision to leave Chelsea had been a mistake.
“Three months later I said to my agent I want to leave, and that I made a big mistake leaving Chelsea,” he added.
Willian also explained that his unhappiness affected his performances on the pitch, insisting that financial rewards could not compensate for the lack of satisfaction he experienced at Arsenal.
“I couldn’t play well or perform because I wasn’t happy. When you are not happy you cannot perform. Money cannot buy happiness. It was the best contract of my life there, but I wasn’t happy,” he said.
The Brazilian also offered an assessment of Arteta’s management, acknowledging the Spaniard’s tactical qualities while suggesting that he lacked certain aspects of man-management.
“I have nothing against him. He’s a great coach inside the pitch, his ideas are great but he missed little bits on how to manage the team. The human part, he was missing it,” Willian explained.
His Arsenal spell ultimately lasted just one season, despite signing a three-year contract in 2020.
The winger made 37 appearances across all competitions, scoring only once and providing seven assists before leaving the club by mutual consent in August 2021.
He subsequently returned to Brazil to join Corinthians, bringing an early end to what had initially been presented as an ambitious new chapter in his Premier League career.
For a player who had established himself as an important figure at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Europa League, his brief Arsenal experience remains a disappointing chapter.
Willian’s latest revelations offer another insight into how transfer promises, expectations and the relationship between players and managers can influence a footballer’s experience at a new club.
