Football

The one big reason why Willian’s Arsenal transfer on a three-year deal makes no sense

Published

4 years ago

August 6, 2020

The Chelsea winger is reportedly prepared to sign a three-year deal with the Gunners this summer.

As soon as the ticker tape settled on Arsenal’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea on Sunday, thoughts turned towards the summer transfer window.

The Gunners have no time to waste if they are to reshape their squad ahead of the 2020/21 season, with new manager Mikel Arteta keen to put his stamp on the squad as quickly as possible.

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A number of targets have been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, but the club’s interest in Willian is strong and a contract offer from the Gunners is believed to be on the table.

The Brazilian winger has turned down a new two-year deal to keep him at Chelsea, opening the door for the Blues’ north London rivals to step in.

As a client of Kia Joorabchian, the pieces certainly appear to be falling into place for Willian to join Arsenal, but what would the 31-year-old offer?

And, as Arteta has reportedly asked for the signing of Willian to be completed, what does the Spaniard see in the Brazilian?

This, after all, is a winger who has only averaged four open-play goals a season for Chelsea in the Premier League.

And there is a large proportion of the Stamford Bridge faithful who will not be too disappointed to see Willian leave their club given the level of frustration he causes.

However, as a creator rather than a goalscorer, the Brazilian can offer something to Arsenal.

The 2019/20 season saw Willian average 2.7 key passes per match in the Premier League (per WhoScored) compared to the 1.3 key passes averaged by Nicolas Pepe, the player he would likely be competing for a place with at Arsenal.

He is also comparable in the number of dribbles he averages; 1.8 per Premier League game isn’t hugely behind Pepe’s average of 2.3.

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