Is it we or him who has the option for the fourth year?

Mirth wrote:

3+1 is mental. I actually can't believe we'd do that.

A 2 year deal I can suck up as the financial reality of our club but 3 years of Willian is unnecessary.

I think the 3 year deal is to give us breathing space, otherwise we'd need to go back into negotiations again 12 months from now.
It also allows us to sell him rather than him to leave as a free agent.

Three-year breathing space by signing a player who isn't better than Martinelli - at least not when he's able to play - in the present. Brilliant business.

Klaus wrote:

Three-year breathing space by signing a player who isn't better than Martinelli - at least not when he's able to play - in the present. Brilliant business.

Martinelli can't play a full season as yet as a starter & I'd imagine Willian to be sold after 2 seasons by which time the likes of Martinelli & Co would be ready.

Who the hell is going to buy a 34 year old Willian who's on massive wages? We're going to be stuck with this spanner, just like we're going to be stuck with Cedric for the next three years. He's so obviously not the answer to a single question anyone has ever asked this team. It's a regressive signing seemingly made for all the wrong reasons.

How much will a 33 year old Willian be worth?

We’re also stuck with Mari and Luiz, but it is what it is.

So because we're stuck with some old-ass players of dubious quality we have to keep adding more of them?

Anzac wrote:

Mirth wrote:

3+1 is mental. I actually can't believe we'd do that.

A 2 year deal I can suck up as the financial reality of our club but 3 years of Willian is unnecessary.

I think the 3 year deal is to give us breathing space, otherwise we'd need to go back into negotiations again 12 months from now.
It also allows us to sell him rather than him to leave as a free agent.

No, with a two year old deal we wouldn't need to go back into negotiations again ever because we don't want him longer than two years. 

Should blood our young players before we sign this bloke up.

There's no chance of 2 years. He would have stayed at Chelsea if he wanted 2 years. The entire point of him joining us is because we are the only club who is willing to offer him 3 years.

Don’t know the terms, but if true I’m on board for it. He may not be spectacular but Willian gives us winning experience, good quality squad depth, tactical flexibility and adds to our professionalism and danger on set pieces in and around the box. His age is a negative, but if we are looking at the kid Joelson (or someone similar) he can cover that position adequately while the young talent grows into his own, under less pressure.

It’s better to look at signings with an eye to how it completes the whole picture rather than in isolation. Not freaking out yet. Our manager just won us a trophy and has identified Willian as a useful piece. Probably one of the easiest deals to complete as well. So let’s get it done.

Klaus wrote:

Who the hell is going to buy a 34 year old Willian who's on massive wages? We're going to be stuck with this spanner, just like we're going to be stuck with Cedric for the next three years. He's so obviously not the answer to a single question anyone has ever asked this team. It's a regressive signing seemingly made for all the wrong reasons.

The only realistic reason i can see is it puts a floor under our young players. I look at saka whos form dipped quite suddenly in the last 1-2 months, pepe who we're hoping will develop further but isnt a sure thing, nelson whos still up in the air, marti who wont play until 2021. Id play all of them ahead of this guy, but there's a flakiness that exists with our existing wingers. Willian is the toyota of wide players that can come in and plug those form gaps, and provide some guidance to the youngsters. Its also a low hanging deal that can be done quickly and allow us to address other parts of the team

Now let me find out we've offered him 200k+/pw and an 8 digit finders fee to you know who, with coutinho to follow  :doh:

Quick drop in to the Shed End tells me that most Chelsea fans thought Willian was their most important player last season. Assuming he doesn't fall off a cliff he should be pretty good for us next season and hopefully still decent the one after. His third season might be where age catches up with him and he tails off but if we are able to develop Saka and Martinelli into starters by that time it won't matter as much.

We just need to be sensible in the wage he is offered. No way he should be making more here than he did at Chelsea for starters.

Have read there is talk the deal for Willian is about half the money originally offered pre-COVID, similar as to how Luiz' extension is also on substantially lower pay.

Tambourine Man wrote:

Quick drop in to the Shed End tells me that most Chelsea fans thought Willian was their most important player last season. Assuming he doesn't fall off a cliff he should be pretty good for us next season and hopefully still decent the one after. His third season might be where age catches up with him and he tails off but if we are able to develop Saka and Martinelli into starters by that time it won't matter as much.

We just need to be sensible in the wage he is offered. No way he should be making more here than he did at Chelsea for starters.

Really? I curiously took a look and they are delighted to be offloading him. Most says he is past his prime and will continue to deteoriate, others say his pace hasnt been the same and he relies on it a lot. Without penalties and setpieces his productivity return is abysmal, although still much better than our wingers bar Auba. They are very happy to sell a past it player to us after what Cech did to us and to a lesser extent Luiz this season in certain matches.

Interestingly tons of them are wishlisting Martinez for GK signing

Assuming we are signing both Willian and Coutinho on loan as expected, while pushing hard for Partey, I really hope we focus the rest of our funds remaining on a CB then. That way I could deal with signing those 2 Brazilians. Willian is very close to Luiz anyway and I assume that must have an impact on why we are signing him

last summer's window turned out to be really good in the end even with a former chelsea signing that i didn't like. maybe willian is this year's luiz and the rest of the signings will be the business.

Clrnc wrote:

Tambourine Man wrote:

Quick drop in to the Shed End tells me that most Chelsea fans thought Willian was their most important player last season. Assuming he doesn't fall off a cliff he should be pretty good for us next season and hopefully still decent the one after. His third season might be where age catches up with him and he tails off but if we are able to develop Saka and Martinelli into starters by that time it won't matter as much.

We just need to be sensible in the wage he is offered. No way he should be making more here than he did at Chelsea for starters.

Really? I curiously took a look and they are delighted to be offloading him. Most says he is past his prime and will continue to deteoriate, others say his pace hasnt been the same and he relies on it a lot. Without penalties and setpieces his productivity return is abysmal, although still much better than our wingers bar Auba. They are very happy to sell a past it player to us after what Cech did to us and to a lesser extent Luiz this season in certain matches.

Interestingly tons of them are wishlisting Martinez for GK signing

Assuming we are signing both Willian and Coutinho on loan as expected, while pushing hard for Partey, I really hope we focus the rest of our funds remaining on a CB then. That way I could deal with signing those 2 Brazilians. Willian is very close to Luiz anyway and I assume that must have an impact on why we are signing him

Great news - imagine how deflating it will be when they realise he is leaving for free.

Asterix wrote:

How much will a 33 year old Willian be worth?

Perhaps a bit more than a free Willian?
Even if we only recover his cost in wages.

Klaus wrote:

Who the hell is going to buy a 34 year old Willian who's on massive wages? We're going to be stuck with this spanner, just like we're going to be stuck with Cedric for the next three years. He's so obviously not the answer to a single question anyone has ever asked this team. It's a regressive signing seemingly made for all the wrong reasons.

4 year deal for Cedric.

Bruno Vicari is very reliable for Brazilian players.

#AFC are ready to offer a three-year deal for Willian and have discussed potential deal with Kia Joorabchian. The player is confident of securing a rise on his current £120,000 per week wages should he move across London [@AdrianJKajumba - Daily Mail]

Terrible news. Would rather have spent a little more money to bring in Benrahma. Maybe the idea is to shed Lacazette and move Auba into the middle? Why change a formation that's working, i.e. Auba wide left and Pepe on the right with the central striker linking up? The only other thing that comes to mind is Willian in the AdM left midfield role with room to move wide?

Apparently Zaha is available for around £30m. Which do you think is a better use of funds? Free Willy or Zaha for 30?

It hinges on what other business we plan to do. If spending 30m on zaha prevents us from getting partey, then i wouldnt bother

Zaha without a shadow of doubt.

Partey is a must.

If there’s scope to then £30m for Zaha is definitely preferable.

David Ornstein:
NEW: What’s appealing to Willian about Arsenal is Arteta and Edu.

Arteta wants to sign Willian and has asked for him to be signed. He sees him as someone who could bring experience, winning mentality and help mentoring the youth.

Deal is ‘not as lucrative’ as others offering.

Sureee he will sign for us for lower wages, Orny being fed info from our PR machine I see.

Willian to hold talks with Arsenal after Chelsea's season ends

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/08/04/willian-hold-talks-arsenal-chelseas-season-ends/

That's a clear leak from the club but it's reassuring nonetheless and confirms my suspicions.

Since there are a bit of Lacazette rumors, is this deal more agreeable if it is about making Auba our starting striker, Nketiah backup, Willian/Saka and Pepe/Nelson our wings and then free up funds to buy CMs, CB or whatever the hell it is we're going to buy? In my opinion the deal is slightly better if that is the case, but would still rather Coutinho since that would be just one season and Martinelli will be ready by then.

I think it is fine as it is.
If you are positioning him as a transition player because you are quite confident that one of Saka, Martinelli or Joelson will break out and be a a starter with Pep, then you buy yourself a couple of years for one of those guys to become a certified starter at wide forward while Willian absorbs a lot of minutes. You can also pivot Aubameyang into the middle on occasion but I think he is fine where he is primarily.

We have a ton of football next season. 38 premier league games, and a min 6 Europa games and 3 domestic cup games. Plus there's lots of international football starting in the next 4 weeks with little rest. Being able to rest and rotate will be an advantage. Our squad was thin this season

Claudius wrote:

I think it is fine as it is.
If you are positioning him as a transition player because you are quite confident that one of Saka, Martinelli or Joelson will break out and be a a starter with Pep, then you buy yourself a couple of years for one of those guys to become a certified starter at wide forward while Willian absorbs a lot of minutes. You can also pivot Aubameyang into the middle on occasion but I think he is fine where he is primarily.

We have a ton of football next season. 38 premier league games, and a min 6 Europa games and 3 domestic cup games. Plus there's lots of international football starting in the next 4 weeks with little rest. Being able to rest and rotate will be an advantage. Our squad was thin this season

Pepe or Arteta?

Still think Coutinho is very likely.

Pépé.

http://dailycannon.com/2020/08/what-will-willian-bring-to-arsenal/

it's a nothing transfer, very underwhelming ala the Lacazette and Luiz ones. I wonder what role Tet has in mind for him.

Tet actually has a plan. I'm on board with what he OKs.

BWoolley wrote:

Terrible news. Would rather have spent a little more money to bring in Benrahma. Maybe the idea is to shed Lacazette and move Auba into the middle? Why change a formation that's working, i.e. Auba wide left and Pepe on the right with the central striker linking up? The only other thing that comes to mind is Willian in the AdM left midfield role with room to move wide?

Watched Benrhama yesterday and he’s shit

Sicario wrote:

BWoolley wrote:

Terrible news. Would rather have spent a little more money to bring in Benrahma. Maybe the idea is to shed Lacazette and move Auba into the middle? Why change a formation that's working, i.e. Auba wide left and Pepe on the right with the central striker linking up? The only other thing that comes to mind is Willian in the AdM left midfield role with room to move wide?

Watched Benrhama yesterday and he’s shit

If the choice is between Willian and Benrhama it’s too easy. I’ll grab Willy with both hands.