Reports: Chelsea star Willian agrees £100k-a-week salary at Arsenal ahead of free transfer
Chelsea star Willian is set to become the latest player to cross the London border and join rivals Arsenal, as per reports.
The Brazilian has been at Stamford Bridge for seven years and has appeared over 200 times in the league for the Blues. After a successful spell, Willian reportedly failed to find an agreement with Chelsea that would see him stay on.
Instead, he is on the brink of joining their rivals Arsenal, traversing the path of Petr Cech, David Luiz, and other former Blues who donned the Gunners' red.
Willian set to swap Chelsea for Arsenal
As per sports outlet ESPN, Willian has reportedly agreed a deal with Arsenal that would see him earn up to £100,000-a-week at the Emirates.
Chelsea's policy of avoiding lengthy contracts for players over the age of 30 is well-documented, and they deemed Willian's demands to be too high. Mikel Arteta's side are said to have offered the Brazilian winger a three-year-deal.
Frank Lampard was keen on Willian, who turns 32 in less than a week, staying at the club for a more extended period. The English coach rumoured to have requested the hierarchy to reach an agreement with Willian and keep him at Chelsea as part of his project. However, they have failed to do so, and Arsenal are set to capitalise on the situation, much to Lampard's dismay.
Last week, Willian's agent Kia Joorabchian confirmed that there were up to five clubs vying to secure the 31-year-old's signature. Everton and Arsenal are two of the clubs in the running for the two-time Premier League winner on a free transfer.
The super-agent is also rumoured to be overseeing a move that could see Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho move to the Emirates. The Barcelona midfielder, currently on loan at Bayern Munich, has been told that he has no future at the Nou Camp and will have to look for a new club.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal are set for changes in their front lines, with the former already having signed Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. They are widely expected to complete a deal for Bayer Leverkusen ace Kai Havertz as well. Arsenal are on the brink of dealing a free-transfer for Willian, with Coutinho and Wilfried Zaha tipped as potential Gunners targets as well.
The news of Willian's signing could worsen the ongoing predicament that Arsenal find themselves in. Gunners officials Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham released a statement on Wednesday which confirmed that 55 people had been relieved of their duties at the Emirates. This decision has been met with immense criticism from all over.
Arsenal will return to action against Liverpool for the FA Community Shield at Wembley on August 29. Chelsea are due to play shortly in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich.
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