Ex-Arsenal Midfielder Reveals Reason Behind Gunners Exit, Brazil Return

Willian Borges da Silva was a player whom Arsenal FC had hoped would fit in perfectly following his great stint with Chelsea FC. But the setup did not turn out well, and the 33-year-old opted to return to Brazil to sign for Corinthians.

The Brazilian shed light on his forgettable stint with the Gunners during an interview with TV Corinthians.

"I really thought a lot, together with my family and close people. Unfortunately, my time at Arsenal was not good, I wasn't happy at the club," Willian said.

Willian did not go into detail about the exact reason for his unhappiness with the Gunners. But he explained that he ultimately opted to rejoin Corinthians, where he started his career, so that he could be closer to his family.

"I looked into some other opportunities, but I wanted to return to Corinthians, to my home, to be close to my family. It's the club that projected me to the world, revealed me. I think now was the right time to come back," he continued.

Before he joined the Gunners last year, Willian sought a three-year deal while he was still with Chelsea FC. But this request was never granted by the Blues.

Instead, Arsenal took a chance on the 33-year-old and offered him a three-year deal. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to expectations. In the end, he cut short his stint with the Gunners and chose to head back to Brazil, Goal reported.

With the Gunners, Willian was a regular fixture under Arteta. He appeared in 37 matches across all competitions but hardly stood out.

Throughout those appearances, the Brazilian recorded only one goal and seven assists. His addition was telling on the performance of Arsenal, which missed out on qualifying for European competition for the first time in 25 years after finishing the Premier League season in eighth place in May.

Willian was not the only one who left Emirates Stadium. Joe Willock moved to Newcastle United after a successful loan stint at St. James’ Park.

The Gunners also saw the likes of Matteo Guendouzi, William Saliba, Hector Bellerin and Reiss Nelson moving to other clubs — a reason why Arteta and company continue to look for players who can fill the gaping holes in the Arsenal lineup.