"Please I want to go" - Former Arsenal star tells Rio Ferdinand that he wanted to leave the club after just 3 months
Former Arsenal and Brazilian star Willian Borges da Silva, who now plays for Corinthians in his native land, has revealed his discontent during his time with the Gunners. The former Chelsea winger made the switch to the Emirates Stadium from Stamford Bridge in August 2020. Fans anticipated Willian to follow in the footsteps of many such footballers who had represented both rival clubs in the past.
Willian didn't love his time at Arsenal...đŹ https://t.co/e5Mf5H8T3F
The 33-year-old spoke recently with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand. Opening up to him, Willian candidly explained what went wrong during his brief spell at Arsenal and what led him to terminate his contract with the club.
"I was not happy, thatâs why I didnât perform. I donât want to go into the details, but I wasnât happy. So, when I arrived there I was happy, from the beginning I was motivated, I wanted to do well, new club, new mates, new projects.â - he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.
Willian said that within three months after joining Arsenal, he felt that it was not the right set-up for him. Unhappy with the conditions in the outfit, he informed his agent about the desire to quit the club soon. He added:
âAfter three months, I told my agent, 'Please, I want to go.' I donât want to speak bad about the club because it is a big club, has a big history in football, big players played there before itâs a big club - but it didnât work, it was of course the most difficult time of my career.â
Willian's uninspiring spell at Arsenal
Before moving to Arsenal on a free transfer, the Brazilian star had spent seven years in West London. During that time, he represented the Chelsea badge on 339 occasions. His accolades at Chelsea include two Premier League titles, a Europa League, an FA Cup and a League Cup.
Willian has said on Rio Ferdinandâs YouTube channel that although he played for Arsenal under manager Mikel Arteta, it is Chelsea that he supports. #OnceABlueAlwaysABlue đ https://t.co/4KDxa1zyRx
Willian signed a three-year deal with Arsenal in 2020. The lucrative deal was estimated to be worth around ÂŁ200,000 a week. The former Brazil international made 37 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions, scoring only once, and registering seven assists. Arsenal's version of Willian in the Premier League was rather underwhelming.
Willian further said in his talk with Rio Ferdinand:
âYeah, it was big money that I gave up - money is not the most important thing in life, you need to be happy, to be getting pleasure and wake up and want to go to training, I wasnât having that, so I said to myself, with my family and my wife, 'I cannot stay here, I am not happy here, I have to leave and find a way out to leave the club.' For me, it is unfair to stay in a place you donât want to stay just because of the money.â
Leaving all that glory behind, Willian made the unique choice of leaving Arsenal for his boyhood club Corinthians in 2021. For him, he emphasizes, the passion for football reigns stronger than earning money.