Willian Officially Bids Chelsea Fans Goodbye

Willian Borges da Silva confirmed through a farewell note that he is leaving Chelsea F.C. With the Blues standing pat on their decision to hand the Brazilian only a two-year deal, the belief is that the 31-year-old is bound for Emirates Stadium to join Arsenal F.C. His contract officially ended after their Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

Willian did not see action for Chelsea on account of an injury. Not long after, the 31-year-old player penned an open letter via his official Instagram account, thanking Blues fans for the seven wonderful years and said that it was time for him to move on.

"They were seven wonderful years. In August 2013 when I received the offer from Chelsea, I was convinced that this was where I had to play," Willian said in the social media post. "Today I am certain that it was the best of decisions. There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense."

Willian had 339 appearances for the Blues since joining in 2013. He was acquired from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 and rose to prominence at Stamford Bridge. He leaves winning five major honors with Chelsea. That includes winning two Premier League titles and the Europa League, BBC reported.

"There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense," Willian said.

A Willian move out of Stamford Bridge was expected. The Brazilian previously stated that he would immediately sign with the Blues if a three-year contract came his way. Unfortunately, Chelsea opted to stick to its practice of offering no more than a two-year deal for players aged 30 and above.

Now, most are awaiting the next team where Willian will be suiting up. The team heavily linked is Arsenal F.C., a team that is believed to be handing him his preferred three-year contract.

At his age, Willian knows that this may be the last time he will get the chance to bargain for a large-scale contract. Aside from the Gunners, teams interested in the 31-year-old included Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United.

Frank Lampard tried his best to exhaust all means to keep the Brazilian winger in the fold. Though his efforts went for naught, the English coach insisted he is not holding any hard feelings against Willian, Sky Sports reported.

"In terms of being disappointed, certainly as a club I think we have done everything we can to explain to Willian, and mine and his relationship is really close," Lampard said.