Willian reveals Luiz role in Arsenal move: He said, 'Come to Arsenal, come to Arsenal, I want you to come

Willian has spilled out an open secret that David Luiz was instrumental in bringing him to the Emirates and praised his fellow Brazilian for his empathetic personality.

"I've spoken to him already and he's very happy," the 32-year-old told the club's official website. "Since I was eight years old, we played together in the national team, we played together at Chelsea, and now at Arsenal again.

"I think we can do great things together, I hope so, but I'm very happy to be with him again.

"He said, 'Come to Arsenal, come to Arsenal, I want you to come!' So that was the conversation. He is a very nice guy, a top player and I'm very excited to play with him again.

"Of course [he helped in the past], many times. Many times when I had difficult times at Chelsea he was helping me a lot. He is this kind of person that wants to help, especially young players without experience. He is the guy that helps everyone."

Arsenal landed Willian on a free earlier in August. The 32-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Gunners and stated Mikel Arteta was one of the key reasons why he decided to move to the Emirates.

The forward is seen as a competitor to Nicolas Pepe but he insisted that he could play anywhere across the frontline and we previously argued the Brazilian could even be used as a No. 10, a role that belonged to Mesut Ozil prior to the lockdown.

Meanwhile, the fact that David Luiz was a magnet for Willian was a secret that everyone knew. A few days before the official confirmation of the move, the defender dropped a huge hint about the deal through social media.

The now-proven fact that the centre-back was important in luring his compatriot to the Emirates serves as a yet another illustration of his growing positive influence at the club.

The 33-year-old helped convince Arsenal players to accept pay cuts, uniting the squad with his leadership. He was also instrumental in easing Gabriel Martinelli's and Pablo Mari's adaptation to life in the UK and at Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta also wants the centre-back to help William Saliba get used to London.

"I’m sure about how he is going to treat him, how he is going to look after him, how he is going to guide him," said the head coach back in July. "The way David supports them [youngsters] is very important to us."