Arsenal have ulterior motive for wanting to sign Willian
On the surface, the idea of Arsenal signing a 31-year-old attacker doesn’t seem to make much sense. The Gunners have a hidden reason for wanting Willian.
The news that negotiations have broken down between Chelsea and Willian has sent Arsenal into overdrive with their efforts to sign the Brazilian attacker. While he can certainly help Mikel Arteta’s team from a tactical perspective, the signing might be even more important to the club in another way.
Specifically, signing Willian as a free agent would send a clear signal to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that Arsenal are serious about improving their squad this offseason. The Gabonese striker only has one year left in his current deal with the club. Signing him to a new contract is priority No. 1 for the Gunners over the next several weeks.
Aubemyang correctly understands that he is entering the tail end of his prime as a football player. He can’t afford to sit around and wait for Arsenal to slowly blood their young talent into the squad. As such, adding an instant impact veteran like Willian to the matchday 18 is crucial for his immediate future.
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The question Arsenal officials must answer now is how to make the finances work. Aubameyang is looking for a significant raise if he’s going to commit the next few years of his career to Arteta and his coaching staff. Signing Willian as a free agent will allow the Gunners to avoid paying a transfer fee for his services, but he’ll also be looking for a significant wage packet. The news that he’s turned down a multi-year deal from Chelsea should raise serious questions over just how much money Willian wants to make over the next few seasons.
In a perfect world, the Gunners could find a taker for Mesut Ozil and his giant contract. Unfortunately, the fact that he’s completely fallen out of favor with his manager makes him completely dead weight at the moment. Arsenal might be able to find a club willing to take him on loan, but any deal will require the Gunners to pay an enormous percentage of Ozil’s salary.
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In the end, Arsenal view signing Willian as a way to increase their chances of keeping Aubameyang for the long haul. Betting big money on two players in their 30s is a risk for the club, but it’s a risk worth taking this summer.