Willian's move to boyhood club Corinthians was greeted with huge excitement by the team's supporters but they have swiftly changed their tune less than one season into the switch.
The two-time Premier League winner was so keen to return back to his home country that he agreed to terminate his Arsenal contract by mutual consent - waiving his right to millions of pounds in the process.
His time in North London was incredibly underwhelming, with the winger scoring just one goal across all competitions for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta's side had agreed to sign the wide-player on a free contract following the expiration of his deal with Chelsea on wages of £150,000-per-week. One season later he was gone and back in Brazil, where Willian's career continues to decline.
The Brazilian league season is still only in its early stages, but Corinthians are already under pressure as a result of their elimination from the Paulista state championship at the semi-final stage against their most fierce rivals Sao Paulo.
The Copa Libertadores has also got off to an equally bleak start after being on the wrong end of a surprise 2-0 score-line to Bolivian outfit Always Ready. A 3-0 league defeat Palmeiras last Sunday only compounded the miserable feeling around the club.
Willian and co. will now have their full focus on Tuesday's home Copa Libertadores clash against Boca Juniors knowing anything less than a win could leave their chances of progression from the group, of which they sit bottom, in serious doubt.
Fan violence has plagued Brazilian football for much of this season, which led to Willian being one of the few players brave enough to publicly condemn the situation which left players injured and hospitalised.
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"Nothing is happening to [the aggressors]. They just keep on doing this," he said on Instagram earlier this year. "The authorities tolerate this. I have learned one thing, that we cannot complain about what we tolerate. I am here to say we are outraged by this situation. We have to join together to combat violence in football."
Unsurprisingly, Willian swiftly became a target himself and was forced to hire a security team to escort him to and from training sessions while his daughters were forced into home-schooling over fears over their safety. It has been reported that the winger seriously considered leaving the club and even the country altogether in response to the threats he had been receiving.
On an individual level, on the pitch things have hardly been much better in terms of Willian's individual contribution. The Brazilian's start at the club was delayed after he failed to undergo the required Covid-19 quarantine period - resulting in a two-week ban.
The 33-year-old completed 90 minutes for the club just once in 2021 and though the first-team minutes have been easier to come by this year - goals and assists have not.
