Willian has opened up on his ill-fated season at Arsenal, and revealed that he terminated his contract with the club to ‘pursue happiness’.
The 33-year-old joined the Gunners in 2020 on a lucrative three-year deal, after spending seven seasons with London rivals Chelsea.
However, the Brazilian’s spell at the Emirates Stadium was disappointing to say the least.
Willian scored one goal and registered five assists in 25 appearances for the club and was often the target of criticism from fans and pundits alike.
After just one season in north London he left the club by mutual consent and walked away from a reported £20million.
In an interview with Four Four Two magazine, Willian admitted that he simply wasn’t happy at Arsenal, and it reflected in his performances.
“Things didn’t really go the way we’d all planned. I wasn’t happy there, and when you’re not happy in a place, it doesn’t matter how much you try – you’re not going to be able to deliver what people expect of you," he said.
“We had a great project and believed that it would work out, but it didn’t, and so I chose to leave and do what was best for me.”
Willian also admitted that whilst he was initially excited about the project at Arsenal, his enthusiasm began to wane when he realised he wouldn’t be able to showcase his best form for the club.
“At the beginning, I was super excited – new club, new team-mates, new everything," he added.
“Whenever you turn up at a new club, you want to show what you’re capable of, and I arrived there wanting to play my best football. But as time went by, I realised that things weren’t going to happen the way we’d planned.
"I wasn’t happy, and that’s an important factor in a footballer’s life. When you’re feeling like that, there’s really no way you’re going to perform well, unfortunately.”
His decision to mutually agree to terminate his deal and walk away from his reported £220,000-a-week contract sent shockwaves throughout football.
It’s virtually unheard of for a player to walk away from such a vast amount of money but Willian insists that his happiness was simply worth more to him.
He added: “There are moments in life when the money isn’t so important and you need to focus on what makes you happy; to look for a place where you have some pleasure working.
“That’s something I didn’t have there, and staying only for the money isn’t something I’m capable of doing – there are many other things that come first for me.
"I thought to myself that I couldn’t stay just because of a contract – after all, if I did, where would my motivation, my pleasure and my well-being go? So that’s what I had in mind. Everybody saw what I left behind in order to pursue my happiness again.”
