Chelsea love reminding Tottenham they nabbed Willian from under their noses
Willian's transfer to Chelsea in 2013
In 2013, Chelsea proved they were the big boys in the transfer market by pinching Willian from Tottenham. The Blues, fresh off their Champions League win in 2012, showed their might by stealing the Brazilian international right from under Spurs' noses.
Spurs thought they had the deal sewn up for the then 25-year-old Anzhi Makhachkala star. A medical was even scheduled for Willian, with Spurs using some of the £85m they got from selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid to fund the move.
But then Chelsea's former owner Roman Abramovich got involved, contacted Anzhi's owner Suleyman Kerimov, and the rest is history. Liverpool were also interested, but Chelsea signed Willian on a five-year contract for around £30million.
Willian reveals all about the transfer saga
In 2018, Willian told Brazilian TV show Resenha that signing for Chelsea was actually his preference. He revealed his agent, Kia Joorabchian, informed him of Chelsea's offer when he arrived at Spurs' training ground for his scheduled medical.
Willian said: "I said 'So make do, I'll get back in the van, you'll make do and I'll go to Chelsea, I will not sign with Tottenham.'" But it wasn't easy for him, as he was warned about the consequences of his U-turn.
He continued: "I stayed there for eight hours in the training centre. Tottenham's director said 'I'm going to report you to FIFA, this and that, fans here in England will boo you, this and that.' They made up a lot of things."
"I got stuck there for eight hours. Then I left and I went straight to meet the Chelsea people to sort the details and sign."
To rub salt into the wound, he told the media when he joined that 'Chelsea are one of the best clubs in the world' and revealed his delight at playing for Jose Mourinho, whom he labelled 'one of the best managers'.
The aftermath of the transfer
The transfer didn't help the bad blood between the two clubs, with supporters firmly bitter enemies, it seemed like it was war in the boardroom too.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refused to sell Luka Modric to Chelsea despite a £40m offer and the midfielder's desire to go. At the time there was also friction between managers Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas, who had previously worked together at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Regardless, Willian went on to make 339 appearances for Chelsea during his seven seasons at the club, scoring 63 goals in all competitions. He won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League.
Meanwhile, Spurs are still waiting on a first trophy since 2008. To make matters worse, Willian then signed for Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal in 2020. He spent one season at the Emirates Stadium before returning to Corinthians in his native Brazil for a year, then heading back to England and joining Fulham in 2022.
The winger eventually left London for Greek side Olympiacos in 2024 but has now been linked with a return to England in 2025. It's safe to say, though, that it won't be with Spurs.
