Chelsea like to remind London rivals Tottenham of the time when they snatched Willian from under their noses.
In 2013, the Blues – 2012 Champions League winners – showcased their transfer power in one of the most brutal transfer hijackings the Premier League has ever seen.
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Spurs were keen to sign the Brazilian international, who was playing for Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia at the time, and manager André Villas-Boas believed a deal was all but impossible.
Willian, a player the club hoped to bring to the club with some of the money raised from the £85 million sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in the summer, was due to undergo a medical.
But then Chelsea called. Former owner Roman Abramovich contacted Anzhi’s owner Suleyman Kerimov and the rest is history.
Chelsea eventually signed Willian for around £30 million on a five-year contract.
In 2018, he stated on Brazilian TV show Resenha that he would actually prefer to sign with the Blues, revealing that his agent Kia Joorabchian had informed him of the Blues’ offer when he arrived at Spurs’ training ground for his scheduled medical, as is customary before players sign with new clubs.
“I said, ‘Come on, I’ll get back in the van, you come on, and I’ll go to Chelsea. I’m not signing for Tottenham.'”
But it was not made easy for him, as he was warned of the consequences of his impending turnaround.
“I stayed at the training centre for eight hours. The Tottenham director said: ‘I’m going to report you to FIFA, this and that, the fans here in England are going to boo you, this and that.’ They came up with a lot of things.
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“I was stuck there for eight hours. Then I left and went straight to the people at Chelsea to sort out the details and sign.”
He did so, and Willian made his debut for the club a few weeks later in the club’s 2-1 defeat to Basel in the Champions League.
In his first Premier League appearance, he scored just five minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 away win at Norwich.
Chelsea fans were visibly delighted by the player’s decision to choose them over Tottenham and even enjoyed a new chant in his name.
During his time at the club, fans could be heard chanting: “The Spurs shit, they booked his flight but Willian saw the light, he got a call from Abramovich and headed off to Stamford Bridge, he hates Tottenham, he hates Tottenham, he hates Tottenham and he hates Tottenham!”
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Even coach Jose Mourinho laughed at the time.
“That’s the danger of having a medical examination before signing a contract,” he said with a smile on his face.
Willian played 339 times for Chelsea in seven seasons, scoring 63 goals in all competitions.
In his 17 appearances against Spurs, he scored four goals and provided one assist.
After winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League, Willian made Tottenham sick again in 2020 by signing for north London rivals Arsenal.
He spent a season at the Emirates Stadium before returning to Corinthians for a year. He is now back in the Premier League with Fulham, who he joined in 2022.
However, the 35-year-old’s contract is expiring and he is now considering his options. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are interested, which would mean a new, lavish contract.
Willian was a successful signing for Chelsea and made an important contribution to the club’s success.
He will no doubt be glad he made this decision, as things could have turned out very differently for Spurs, who are currently waiting for their first trophy since 2008.
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