Willian confirms Chelsea exit amid Arsenal rumours
Willian has confirmed he is leaving Chelsea after the expiration of his contract, with the Brazil international seemingly edging closer to joining Arsenal.
The playmaker joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, going on to make 234 Premier League appearances for the Blues.
However, after winning two league titles, one FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the Europa League, Willian is leaving Stamford Bridge after failing to agree to a new deal.
In an open letter to Chelsea's fans on Sunday, Willian penned an emotional goodbye to the club.
View this post on Instagram AN OPEN LETTER TO THE FANS OF CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB . . 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. 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. . . Yet, beyond the trophies, I learnt a lot about myself. I developed a great deal, becoming a better player and a better person. With each training session, with each game, with every minute spent in the dressing room, I was always learning. . . I am really grateful to the Chelsea fans for the affectionate way they welcomed me at Stamford Bridge and their support throughout my time at the club. There was also criticism, which is normal, what is important though is that both the affection and criticism drove me to always give my all in every training session, every game, to be constantly improving until my very last minute in a Chelsea shirt! . . The time has now come to move on. I am certainly going to miss my teammates. I will miss all the staff at the club who’ve always treated me like a son and I will miss the fans. I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and always did my best in a Chelsea shirt! . . My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you and God bless you! . Willian Borges da Silva A post shared by Willian Borges Da Silva (@willianborges88) on Aug 9, 2020 at 6:06am PDT
"They were seven wonderful years," he wrote. "In August 2013 when I received the offer from Chelsea, I was convinced that this was where I had to play.
"There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense.
"I am really grateful to the Chelsea fans for the affectionate way they welcomed me to Stamford Bridge and their support throughout my time at the club.
"The time has now come to move on. I am certainly going to miss my team-mates. I will miss all of the staff at the club who've always treated me like a son and I will miss the fans.
"I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and I always did my best in a Chelsea shirt!"
Willian's agent Kia Joorabchian revealed last month that his client had offers from two Premier League clubs, with Arsenal the favourites to land the 32-year-old.
Pedro also left Chelsea on Sunday, and is set to join Roma on a free transfer.
