Mikel Arteta making ex-Arsenal player’s agent eat his words after damning statement

Mikel Arteta has made a mockery of the comments made by agent Kia Joorabchian following Willian's exit from Arsenal.

It took Arteta some time to steer the Gunners back on track after taking over in December 2019. But he has now transformed them into Premier League title contenders, showing consistent improvement year on year.

A significant part of this turnaround has been Arteta's youthful approach in the transfer market. Of course, not all of his decisions have been successful.

The acquisition of Willian on a free transfer after his Chelsea contract ended in 2020 proved to be a misstep, despite the Brazilian later flourishing at Fulham. He managed just one goal in his 37 appearances for the club before agreeing to terminate his contract after a single season.

In the aftermath of his exit, Willian's agent Joorabchian criticised Arsenal with some damning comments. He said: "I think Willian did the right thing.

"He went for the project and the project wasn't there. Unfortunately, I'd have to say, which player has moved to Arsenal that has not been a disaster in the last couple of years?"

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Those words have been proved completely wrong. Arteta and sporting director Edu have recruited exceptionally well, assembling a team that stands a strong chance of finally dethroning Manchester City at the third attempt - including the likes of Gabriel and Martin Odegaard, who arrived in the same window as Willian.

Despite enduring a challenging spell at Arsenal, he too recognised the club's potential and Arteta's capabilities. In February 2021, Willian expressed his belief in the project, saying: "I believe Arsenal has the potential to be a great project.

"It is a great club, it is in the hands of a good coach who has everything to become one of the best coaches in the world. Arsenal has everything it takes to be a power again, to fight for titles, to return to play in the Champions League, this is what all the players hope for."

Even though he described his time in north London as "the worst I lived as a professional" and regretted leaving Chelsea, Willian made it clear that his departure was due to personal dissatisfaction rather than any shortcomings on Arteta's part - despite his agent's perspective.