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Willian confirms Chelsea exit after seven years as he closes in on Arsenal deal: 'The time has come to move on'

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Willian has officially confirmed that he is leaving Chelsea following the conclusion of their season as he closes in on a deal with London rivals Arsenal.

In an open letter to Blues fans published via his social media channels on Sunday, the Brazilian announced that the "the time has come to move on" after seven "wonderful" years at Stamford Bridge.

Willian made 47 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea in 2019/20, but his future has been subject to intense speculation for some time and he only agreed a short-term contract extension covering the end of the coronavirus-hit campaign in June.

An agreement over a long-term deal was never reached, with Willian - who turns 32 today - rejecting the offer of a two-year contract as he held out for the added security of an extra 12 months.

Standard Sport understands instead that Willian is close to finalising a three-year contract with Arsenal.

Losing FA Cup finalists Chelsea saw their long season finally ended on Saturday night as they crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in their Champions League last-16 second-leg contest. They lost the tie 7-1 on aggregate.

"They were seven wonderful years," Willian - who missed both the FA Cup Final and the trip to the Allianz Arena through injury - wrote after that loss.

"In August 2013 when I received the offer from Chelsea, I was convinced that this is where I wanted to play. Today, I am certain that it was the best of decisions. There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense.

"Yet, beyond the trophies, I learnt a lot about myself. I developed a great deal, becoming a better player and a better person. With each training session, with each game, with each minute spent in the dressing room, I was always learning.

"I am really grateful to the Chelsea fans for the affectionate way they welcomed me at Stamford Bridge and their support throughout my time at the club.

"There was also criticism, which is normal, what is important though is that both the affection and criticism drove me to always give my all in every training session, every game, to be constantly improving until my very last minute in a Chelsea shirt.

Saying goodbye: Willian is leaving Chelsea after seven years and looks set to join London rivals Arsenal (AP)
Saying goodbye: Willian is leaving Chelsea after seven years and looks set to join London rivals Arsenal (AP)

"The time has now come to move on. I am certainly going to miss my team-mates. I will miss all the staff at the club who've always treated me like a son and I will miss the fans.

"I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and always did my best in a Chelsea shirt!

"My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you and God bless you."

Former Corinthians and Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian initially joined Chelsea from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 after pulling out of a move to Tottenham and went on to make 339 appearances for the club across all competitions.

He won Premier League titles in 2014/15 and 2016/17 as well as the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League during his time in west London.

Earlier on Sunday, fellow experienced and out-of-contact winger Pedro also announced he was leaving Chelsea after five years. He will head to Serie A to join Roma.

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