Arsenal had one of the busiest transfer windows last summer as they brought in some reinforcements for Mikel Arteta’s team.
The Gunners needed to build on their FA Cup and Community Shield win in the new season, and they did support their manager, despite the presence of the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the incomings, Gabriel Magalhaes has stood out while the likes of Dani Ceballos haven’t inspired any confidence with their performances for the club.
The Gunners also brought in Willian from Chelsea on a free transfer after the Brazilian ended last season in fine form.
But he has looked like a terrible recruitment mistake by the club this season, and Sun Sports has named him as one of the worst signings of the season.
He has been so poor that Arsenal has had to fall back on their teenage stars like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe to help them.
About the Brazilian, Sun Sports’ Dave Fraser writes:
“ON the face of it, signing a player with seven years of Premier League experience and two top-flight titles for free seemed a no-brainer.
“But Willian, 32, has looked utterly lost in North London, helping lead the Gunners to their worst-ever start in Premier League history.
“The Brazilian veteran – paid a staggering £220,000 per week – has been dropped in recent weeks.
“And it’s hardly a coincidence Arsenal’s form has drastically improved in those games with the young Gunners offering far more.
“The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka deserve their spot in the team far more than Willian as things stand.”
Sell him. Simple as that for whatever price! Got him on a free anyway, try and get our signing on bonus we gave him back in a fire sale. He is not needed at all & some team would take him I am sure of that just maybe not the wage!
The article says it all! Who can possibly disagree! The worst free transfer we have ever made, considering the huge wage expense and not a single thing of value in return by an uninterested and lazy man who has effectively gone on permanent holiday . On our money too!
How do we get him out of our club for good and as cheaply as possible is the only matter that should concern Gooners regarding this idle, waste of time and money man.
He’s been terrible and a mistake but not lazy, just that he slows the pace of attacks and games generally.
Do you ever see him close down with intensity then? Or give and go, again with intensity? I do NOT see those things and THAT is why I say he IS lazy!
LAZINESS IS EASY TO SEE IN PLAYERS. There is a noticeable lack of desire in him. Look at MARTINELLI, SAKA by comparison and then think again.
Any player that has no contribution for the team should be freed & release
It’s not that Willian is terrible, although his play has been poor so far, it’s what he represents…his agent’s potential influence over club recruitment decisions, his ridiculous wage considering his age and our legitimate concerns regarding our already bloated wage bill, the obvious promises he received about being a regular starter yet we still had the vastly overpaid Pepe and other more youthful and cheaper options on the roster(didn’t try to sell or loan out any of them), the fact that this clearly shows that Arteta/Edu don’t have a comprehensive long-term plan and the endlessly depressing fact that this team can’t seem to shake their horrible record when it comes to “free” transfers, both ingoing and outgoing…not to mention, this type of acquisition, plus the accompanying misplaced oversell, simply amped up expectations unnecessarily…a sad but common refrain for this club that clearly lacks any self-awareness or doesn’t give a shit
Who was responsible for firstly, wanting him signed, and secondly, who sanctioned the signing? From what has been widely reported it was Arteta who wanted him. Why? Another disastrous decision from a manager who obviously thought better.
And again, as widely reported, Willian signed a three year £200k per week contract. So who in their right mind believes this player is going anywhere?
Got to agree Willian has been a flop.
I can understand Afc giving him a go on a free transfer but 200k a week for a player at the end of his career ?
It would be interesting to know what percentage of our wage bill is being paid to the senior players – Ozil, Laca, Auba, Willian – for example. Then to this sum, we could add bonus payments such as starting fees, goals scored and assists.
On the other hand we could compare this number to the percentage of our wage bill being paid to the junior players.
When we consider the impact young players are having on the team, are we really getting value from our enormous wage bill?
And still we continue to mismanage our young players – Saliba on loan again and Balogun up for sale. Strange!