Arsenal are reportedly in the race to land Chelsea forward Willian on a free transfer this summer and it could be a bargain deal for the Gunners.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal, Tottenham and Bayern Munich are all fighting it out to sign Willian at the end of the season.
The report claims that Chelsea have not been able to come to an agreement with Willian over a new deal, with the forward now set to become a free agent.
Despite his age, 31, signing Willian on a free could be an incredible piece of business for Arsenal. The Brazilian has been in impressive form this season for Chelsea and is currently on five goals and five assists in the Premier League, with a WhoScored rating of 7.25. No Arsenal player, who has played more than five league matches, has recorded a higher rating than Willian in the league.
Arsenal also lack depth in the wide areas. Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has often been forced out wide, whilst the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Mesut Ozil have also been deployed in wide areas. Nicolas Pepe is one of Arsenal’s few natural options on the wing, so adding Willian to the squad could allow Mikel Arteta to play players where they want to play rather than shoehorning them into unnatural positions.
This is why Arsenal need to pip Tottenham to the signing of Willian, because he could add depth and quality to Arteta’s squad. He would also be on a free, so the club do not need to shell out on an expensive permanent transfer fee, which could potentially happen with alternative targets.
