Willian made the move across London from Chelsea, to join us last summer. The Brazilian has not spent a lot of time with Mikel Arteta, but he has already identified qualities that will make the Spaniard a top manager.
Willian has not had the best of performances so far this season, but his words certainly put no blame on the manager. Infact, he praised his coaching methods.
He’ll be a top manager, I’ve no doubt about it,” Willian told FourFourTwo.
“The potential is there, as is the ambition. In a few years he’ll be considered one of the best managers in the Premier League – and the world.
“Obviously you must win trophies to be considered one of the best, and it will happen for him sooner rather than later.
“I’m impressed with the way he talks and explains his tactical thoughts – he’s quick to read the game and make adjustments when needed. It’s been fantastic to train under him so far and I’m learning a lot.”
Willian also spoke about how Arsenal succeeded in making him wear the red and white, despite a rumoured move to Barcelona that has been talked about for years.
“There was a lot of talk about Barcelona for the past few seasons,” he said, “but I wouldn’t have gone there just because they’re Barca.
“I wouldn’t go to any club without hearing about their targets and what they wanted from me.
“It wouldn’t be nice to be there or anywhere else if you weren’t going to be a big part of the project and didn’t play much.
“Arsenal were the only club to show me a project that would fit with my ambitions, and they’re one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
We hope Willian finds a way to replicate the kind of display we saw in his debut against Fulham.
