Willian 'joked to Thiago Silva he would have STAYED at Chelsea' if he knew he was heading to the club.
Willian jokingly told Thiago Silva that he would have turned down a move to Arsenal and stayed at Chelsea if he knew the defender was heading to Stamford Bridge, the Telegraph have claimed.
Silva, 35, signed a one-year deal with the Blues last month after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired, allowing the defender to leave the Champions League runners-up on a free. of Silva's arrival at Chelsea could've seen Willian extend his stay in west London after the winger playfully told his compatriot: 'If I'd known you were moving to Chelsea, I would have stayed there after all.'
Willian brought the curtain down of his seven-year spell with Chelsea last month to join London rivals Arsenal on a three-year deal.
And while the 32-year-old was one of the people he'd sought advice on over his next move, it was another Brazil international that played a key role in convincing him to join the Blues.
Ahead of PSG's Champions League campaign in Lisbon, the Telegraph's report goes on to claim that Neymar gave Chelsea a ringing endorsement, saying he was 'remarkably clear' in urging Silva to join Frank Lampard's side.
Silva also attracted interest from a number of Italian clubs, with a return to Milan also on the table, but a chat with Lampard made up the veteran defender's mind.
Following his arrival, Silva told the club's official website: 'I am so happy to be joining Chelsea.
'I am delighted to be a part of Frank Lampard's exciting squad for next season and I'm here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon.'
Silva became Lampard's fifth major signing at the club after Chelsea became incredibly active in the transfer market, also bringing in Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr.
Kai Havertz has also been added to the squad, following his £71million move from Bayer Leverkusen