Joining Arsenal was my biggest mistake - Ex-Chelsea star blames Arteta's broken promise for sad transfer

Former Chelsea winger Willian has opened up on his disastrous one-season spell at Arsenal, admitting that leaving Stamford Bridge for the Gunners was “a big mistake” after promises made by Mikel Arteta failed to match reality.

The Brazilian also revealed that he wanted out of the Emirates just three months after joining.

Willian joined Arsenal in August 2020 after seven successful years at Chelsea, choosing a three-year contract with the Gunners over a shorter extension offered by his former club. The Brazilian recalled meeting Arteta before the move and being told he would become a central figure in Arsenal’s plans.

“Arteta said to me: ‘We're going to play like this and I want you to be the main guy, I will build the team around you, I want to give you the key to the club,’” Willian revealed.

At 32, the winger believed the move offered him the chance to remain in London with his family while securing greater long-term stability. However, his Arsenal career quickly went in the opposite direction. Willian scored only once in 37 appearances and admitted that he became frustrated within months of arriving.

“Three months later I said to my agent I want to leave, and that I made a big mistake leaving Chelsea,” he said.

Willian eventually departed by mutual consent after one season and returned to Brazil with boyhood club Corinthians.

Willian believes his struggles were linked to more than his performances, claiming the environment at Arsenal was vastly different from what he had experienced at Chelsea.

“The mentality was totally different to Chelsea,” he said. “You cannot compare.”

The winger explained that Chelsea were competing for major trophies when he left, while Arsenal were experiencing significant changes and uncertainty. He also felt younger players were not being pushed enough, which contributed to his frustration.

Willian stopped short of blaming Arsenal entirely, but suggested that the reality he encountered did not match what he had been told before signing.

“I always joke they sold me a dream and it wasn't a good dream,” he said. He also offered a candid assessment of his relationship with Arteta, describing it as “not good” while praising the Spaniard's tactical qualities.

“He's a great coach inside the pitch, his ideas are great but he missed little bits on how to manage the team. The human part, he was missing it,” Willian said.

For Willian, the decision to leave Chelsea ultimately became a painful lesson. Despite receiving what he described as the best contract of his career at Arsenal, he insisted that financial rewards could not compensate for his unhappiness.