Though Willian’s basic salary is lower than he earned at Chelsea, when bonuses, a signing-on fee, and loyalty payments over the three years are included, it will amount to £220,000-a-week or around £35m over the course of his contract.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: ‘I believe he’s a player that can really make a difference for us.
‘We have been monitoring him for the past few months, we had a clear intention to strengthen in the attacking midfielder and the winger positions [and] he is a player that gives us a lot of versatility, he can play in three or four different positions.
‘He has the experience of everything in the football world but to still have the ambition to come here and contribute to bring the club where it belongs.
‘I have been really impressed with all the talks I have had with him and how much he wanted to come.’
Gunners Technical director Edu said: ‘I know him very well, since a long time ago because we’ve been working together for the Brazilian national team and of course I was following him because he played for another club.
‘He has a lot of fantastic attributes as a person, as a football player of course, his character.
‘I’m 100 per cent sure that everybody in the dressing room, the fans, myself and Mikel will enjoy having Willian in our side.’
The vast sums involved raise questions after Arsenal’s announcement last week that they are proposing to make 55 members of staff redundant.
Insiders say Willian’s unveiling was put back because of the ‘poor optics’ if it had followed hot on the heels of the job-cuts statement. Arsenal deny that is the case.
