The money’s too tight to mention
SO Willian decided to join Arsenal because they are “one of the biggest clubs in the world”.
Because of “the new project with Arteta” and because the “club deserves to shine again”.
You’d imagine the fact he has been handed a three-year deal worth more than £200,000 a week when all’s said and done swayed him a little bit as well.
Although, funnily enough, he didn’t mention that in his first interview with his new club’s media team, an interview drip-fed out over the course of Friday.
Perhaps he did and Arsenal just cut it from the final edit.
You’d hardly blame them knowing the indignation it would have caused little more than a week after the club announced 55 members of staff were being made redundant.
Arsenal were always going to be damned if they hey made any new signings after that announcement ent and damned if they didn’t. t.
Fault ault
None of it t is Willian’s fault but still l he has to live with the e fact it has taken the e edge off his arrival. al.
In any other summer, it would have been a real cause for celebraebration for Arsenal senal supporters but, if social media a is a fair reflection on – and let’s be fair, air, often it isn’t n’t
– there are e plenty of
Gooners with whom t he Brazilian’s wages don’t sit too comfor comfortably given t he £ 3milli 3million- odd billionaire owner Stan Kroenke and those in the corridors of power at the Emirates want to sa save elsewhere.
F foo
Ar lo
From a purely footballing basis, Mikel Arteta’s move for Willian looks a no-brainer.
Yes, he’s 32, but he’s s still as fit as a butcher’s dog. Arsenal will get a good couple of years o out of him at least. And o on the field and in the dressing room he will bring the sort of winning mentality they have been crying out for. At Shakhtar Donetsk, Willian won four league titles – yes, yes, we all know it was ‘only’ the Ukrainian league – and the UEFA Cup as well.
Then at Chelsea he picked up that latter trophy again in its rebranded Europa League form, along with two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and League Cup to boot.
Rattling
He’s a softly spoken man, Willian, and he won’t be rattling the cages of his new team-mates.
But he’s a fierce competitor as well, he knows what it takes to challenge over the course of a season and everything he has done in the game will only command respect in the Gunners dressing room from the senior pros and youngsters alike.
Nicolas Pepe (left) is perhaps the player who will be most affected by Willian’s arrival, even if the Brazilian is expected to play more centrally.
But if Pepe views his arrival in the right way then he could just be looking at the man who will help turn him into a £72m player instead of someone who looks anything but.
Pepe, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and, if he gets to hang around this season, Emile Smith Rowe, will only benefit from training and playing alongside him as well.
Which is why, Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang and finances aside, this could be the best signing Arsenal have made for years.