“I wish I never left” – Ex Chelsea player now claims he regret leaving Stamford Bridge to join Arsenal

“I wish I never left” – Ex Chelsea player now claims he regret leaving Stamford Bridge to join Arsenal

Willian, a winger who previously played for Chelsea and Arsenal, has spoken about his decision to join Arsenal in the summer of 2020. The footballer, who is now with Fulham, shared his thoughts with Sky Sports (as reported by Football Daily).

“Yeah. I wish I’d never left. Yeah. Of course, it’s easy to say something now, but when I stop to think about the whole situation then yeah, I say to myself I wish I’d never left. But it’s life. I’m happy now at Fulham – enjoying myself there, so this is life.”

🗣️ "I wish I never left Chelsea." ❌🔵

Willian reflects on his regrets about leaving Chelsea for Arsenal pic.twitter.com/doLpQg5kQh

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 11, 2023

After joining Chelsea from Anzi Makhachkala in the summer of 2013, the Brazilian winger played in 339 games for the club, scoring 63 goals and providing 62 assists.

However, in the summer of 2020, he was denied a three-year extension as part of Chelsea’s policy of offering shorter contracts to players above the age of 30 during the Roman Abramovich era.

As his contract with Chelsea ended, he moved to Arsenal, where he signed a three-year contract at the age of 33, which the club was content to offer.

However, Willian’s time at the Emirates was brief, as he and the club agreed to part ways after just one season. During his time with the Gunners, he played in only 37 matches, scoring one goal and providing seven assists.

This season, Willian has made a comeback to the Premier League, joining Fulham. So far, he has played in 21 matches for the team based in Craven Cottage, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

Chelsea has made a number of new player signings in recent seasons, including several wingers such as Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Mykhailo Mudryk, among others. Despite showing glimpses of excellence, none of these players have been able to secure a permanent starting position in the team’s attacking lineup.

As a result, Chelsea is still on the lookout for wingers who can perform consistently, as Willian did for the club during his time there, alongside Eden Hazard.

“I wish I never left” – Ex Chelsea player now claims he regret leaving Stamford Bridge to join Arsenal