MOSCOW, August 28 (R-Sport) – Brazilian midfielder Willian has signed a five-year contract with Chelsea, the English Premier League side announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge after six months at Anzhi Makhachkala, the Dagestan-based Russian Premier League side currently selling off its high-priced stars in the face of severe budget cutbacks.
“I'm very happy to be here, it's been a dream of mine to come and play here,” Willian said on Chelsea's website.
“Chelsea are one of the best clubs in the world, and now I'm going to play for one of the best managers in the world [Jose Mourinho], so I'm very happy and looking forward to it.”
It remains unclear how much Chelsea paid Anzhi for the Brazilian, but the Telegraph newspaper reported earlier this week the club was set to dish out 34.9 million euros. Anzhi paid 35 million euros to Shakhtar Donetsk when they acquired Willian in February.
Willian had played for Shakhtar since 2007, winning four Ukrainian titles and the UEFA Cup in 2009. He made 17 appearances with Anzhi, scoring one goal.
English media has reported Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o will also depart Anzhi for Chelsea but a move has not been confirmed. On Saturday, Eto'o bid farewell to his teammates and coaches after a loss to FC Krasnodar, a coach told R-Sport.
