Brazil wide-man was on the verge of signing for Spurs until late u-turn.
Recent new Chelsea signing Willian says that he joined the west Londoners instead of Tottenham Hotspur because the Blues are “a better club” than their London rivals, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The occasional Brazil international had appeared set for a move to White Hart Lane last month, with the 25-year-old even undergoing a medical with the north London club before a late change of heart saw Willian sign for the UEFA Europa League winners instead on a five-year deal worth £30m.
And now in an interview back in his homeland, the mercurial wide man has explained his reasons for not moving to Spurs, and his words will not go down well with the club’s fans either.
“I always wanted to go to Chelsea. Chelsea presented an offer and it was always my dream to go there,” Willian told Globoesporte.
“Chelsea is a better club than Tottenham in every aspect. I have spoken with my fellow Brazilians at the club, especially David Luiz. I am also happy to play for Jose Mourinho. That was definitive in my decision.”
Willian arrived at the Bridge from big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala after the club decided to embark on a recent series of cost-cutting measures by offloading many of their highest-earning star players, including the Brazilian.
The playmaker had only been at Anzhi since the turn of the year, during which time Willian had appeared in 15 matches in total for the club in all competitions, managing to score just the one goal in the process, which came in one of his ten league outings for Anzhi.