Willian is set to leave Chelsea this summer after he refused to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal are said to be mulling over the possibility of signing the former Shakhtar Donetsk and Anzhi Makhachkala man and are willing to offer him the three-year deal he was demanding from the West Londoners.
Groves has insisted that bringing in the Brazil international is ‘a no brainer’ as he believes Willian is an upgrade on Arsenal’s record signing Nicholas Pepe.
‘It’s a no-brainer, an absolute no-brainer,’ the 55-year-old Englishman told talkSPORT when asked about Willian to Arsenal deal.
‘You say he’s 31, in my day that’s when you retired, but he could play until he’s 33 or 34 because modern players look after themselves.’
‘And if you look at his injury record, over the last seven years he’s averaged 33 or 34 games a season, so he’s not injury prone, he’s consistent, his attitude is very good and he’s proven in the Premier League, so the risk is low and the rewards could be very good.’
‘Is he better than what Arsenal have got at the moment in that position? I’d say yes. He’s experienced.’
When asked on if Willian is better than Pepe, Groves said: ‘Yeah. Pepe has got great potential but he’s not on Willian’s level of consistently delivering.”
‘Willian would make Arsenal a stronger team, it’s a no-brainer.’
Willian has won multiple major honours including two Premier League titles and an FA Cup since joining Chelsea from the Russian side in 2013, as well as earning 70 caps for his country Brazil.
