Report: Arteta and Edu were obsessed by one Arsenal player for many years

Follow us on Google Discover

According to a report from Football London, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s technical director Edu were obsessed by Willian for a number of years.

The pair managed to bring their ‘obsession’ to the Emirates back in the summer after his contract with Chelsea expired, where the Brazilian has blown hot and cold so far this season.

Willian has grabbed two assists in seven Premier League games so far this season. While that is a respectable tally for a new signing in a fresh environment, he is nowhere near his numbers from last term.

In his final season at Stamford Bridge, the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk attacker registered nine goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

More specifically, Willian averaged two shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game for the Blues last term.

In comparison, he has only averaged 0.7 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.4 dribbles every 90 minutes for the Gunners as WhoScored shows.

Of course, he’s still a fantastic, creative player who Arteta and Edu weren’t obsessed over for no reason.

It could well be a case of the 32-year-old still getting to grips with the way in which the ex-Manchester City coach sets his sides up.

In his defence, even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are struggling this season with just two and three Premier League goals respectively.