Raul Meireles has spoken out about his shock move from Liverpool to Chelsea on transfer deadline day.
The Portugal midfielder handed in a transfer request late last Wednesday and was subsequently snapped up by Chelsea for a reported £12million.
He insists that it was only when he realised his former FC Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas wanted him at Stamford Bridge that a deal could be done.
"When I was in Porto, I knew that I wanted to go and the club wanted to sell me, and I only had to wait for the right choice," he told the club's official website.
"I made the right choice last year to come to England and to come to Liverpool and this year was different because I knew that I didn't want to leave Liverpool.
"I felt that the new owners didn't want to sell me, but when I knew that Chelsea and Andre wanted me, it convinced me."
Meireles added: "It was strange, because I knew of the interest of Chelsea, and the interest of the coach, and it was a pleasure to come to this club but it was strange because it was on the last day.
"The people think that I wanted to leave and it is only because Chelsea wanted me. For Andre to want me, that is why I wanted to go."
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