EPL is no longer Willian's safe haven: His ticket to Brazil is booked

Ever since arriving in England for the first time in 2013, Willian seemed to have always found "shelter" at a Premier League side.

After spending seven years with Chelsea, he joined Arsenal, and a year later, he became a Fulham member, and then returned to the Cottagers' ranks after a short one-year spell at the Greek Olympiacos.

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In the meantime, the Brazilian spent a season at Corinthians, but always gladly returned to England's top tier. However, now, at 37, Willian's EPL days seem to be over, as he joined the Brazilian side Gremio as a free agent. This way, he followed in footsteps of Neymar, Thiago Silva, Oscar, Philippe Coutinho, Alex Sandro, Lucas Moura, and other stars, who returned to their homeland in recent years.

The previous season, in which he made only 12 appearances for Fulham with an average of around half an hour on the pitch, hinted at the forward's imminent departure from the Premier League.

Now, Gremio will become only the second Brazilian side Willian has played for - alongside his boyhood club Corinthians - and the eighth different club in his career.

In his prime days with Chelsea, he won five trophies, including two Premier Leagues and the 2019 UEFA Europa League. At that time, he was a regular Brazil international, making 70 appearances and scoring nine goals for the Selecao.