Willian Insists Chelsea Were First Choice Despite Passing Tottenham Medical

Chelsea new boy Willian insists a move to Stamford Bridge was always his first choice despite having reportedly passed a medical ahead of joining London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Brazilian had reportedly passed a medical ahead of moving to White Hart Lane last week only for the Blues to hijack the deal.

Jose Mourinho later confirmed Chelsea had beaten Spurs to the 25 year old with an agreement over a five-year deal announced on Wednesday.

Willian was expected to make up part of Andre Villas-Boas' plans to replace Gareth Bale, who is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, but instead the former Anzhi Makhachkala man has moved to the blue half of the capital and insists Mourinho's side were his first choice all along.

"It's been my dream to come to play here," Willian told Chelsea's official website. "Finally it's become a reality, and when the offer came I never gave a thought to anybody else, I said to myself that I would run here, and I'm happy to be here now.

"Chelsea was always my first choice.

"It's going to be an immense pleasure to work with Jose Mourinho, listen to him and learn from him. I'm sure I'm going to grow as a professional and I'm looking forward to training.

"He's one of the best coaches in the world with everything he's won. I'm sure I'm going to learn a lot and improve a lot."

After missing out on the Brazil international, Villas-Boas is expected to complete deals for Roma's Erik Lamela, Steaua Bucharest defender Vlad Chiriches and Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen to offset the loss of Bale, who is expected to join Madrid before the end of the transfer window.

Tottenham could also be boosted by a Madrid player moving from the Bernabeu as a sweetner in the deal to take Bale to the Spanish capital, thus handing Villas-Boas a formidable squad in the club's pursuit of a Champions League place.

With two wins from their opening two Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Swansea City, Tottenham have begun the season in ideal fashion and face arch rivals Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, seeking to lay down a marker ahead of the rest of the campaign.