Willian has revealed that his decision to join Arsenal, instead of signing a new two-year deal to continue to remain with Chelsea, was because Arsenal told him that they will win the Champions League in three years.
According to the report by UK Sun, the former Chelsea man said he decided to join Arsenal after Mikel Arteta revealed his plan to win the Champions League in three years.
The winger left Chelsea at the end of his contract after rejecting an offer of a two-year extension.
Willian opted to make the move across London to join the Gunners with the club offering him a lucrative deal until 2023 – and Arteta’s ambition to win trophies helped him make the decision.
“One of the reasons I wanted a three-year deal was to be part of a plan, not just a player passing through,’ the winger told The Sun.
‘When I talked with the manager he told me why he needed me for three years.
‘It was that he first wanted to qualify for the Champions League and win it by the time I left. That was what I wanted to hear.
‘I was at Chelsea for seven years and won everything except the Champions League.
‘Hopefully this move will give me the trophy I haven’t got as well as another Premier League title.’
Frank Lampard was keen for the Brazilian to stay at Stamford Bridge with the winger playing a key role in the club qualifying for the Champions League.
The 32-year-old contributed four goals and two assists after the restart but could only watch from the sidelines as the Blues were defeated by his new team in the FA Cup final.
The last time Arsenal were in the finals of the Champions League was in 2006 losing to Barcelona, and their last final in Europe, was against Chelsea, which was the Europa League cup in 2019.