Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Willian, 36, set to return to football after being left unemployed following Fulham exit
WILLIAN has joined Olympiacos as a free agent shortly after his exit from Fulham.
The ex-Chelsea and Arsenal ace stood out for the Cottagers last season with five goals and two assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.
The West Londoners’ manager Marco Silva wanted the winger to stay at Craven Cottage and the club offered him a new one-year contract after his previous deal expired in June.
The ex-Brazil international, though, decided to move on and will continue with last season’s Europa Conference League winners who will be playing in the Europa League this season.
The 36-year-old agreed a deal with Olympiacos and flew to Athens where he passed his medical in Piraeus and put pen to paper.
The summer transfer window in Greece runs until September 11 and Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side is eager to add more attacking reinforcement.
Olympiacos missed out on signing Wolves ace Daniel Podence on a permanent deal after his successful loan stint last season.
Podence is moving to Saudi Arabia for Al-Shabab after Gary O’Neil’s side landed Carlos Forbs on loan from Ajax.
Mendilibar’s side has also been linked with another former Chelsea ace Hakim Ziyech, who is looking to leave Galatasaray.
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Willian moved to the Premier League in 2013 when he joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala.
The Brazilian went on to enjoy a glittering seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge where he won two Premier League titles, the 2015 EFL Cup, the 2018 FA Cup and the 2019 Europa League trophy.
The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk star registered a total of 63 goals and 57 assists in 339 appearances with the Blues.
Willian then moved to Arsenal but struggled to replicate the same success in north London with only one goal and seven assists in 37 matches before his departure just a year later in 2021.
The Gunners’ sporting director Edu Gaspar claimed the forward failed to be a success at the Emirates because he wasn’t “100 per cent comfortable” during a season in which he started well but became “inconsistent”, just like the rest of the team.
After a brief spell at Corinthians, Willian returned to London for Fulham where he scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 67 appearances.
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