Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho insists he never considered signing Willian before he joined Arsenal.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow's North London derby, Mourinho revealed Spurs didn't have the money to enter a bidding war with Arsenal for the former Chelsea star.

“We don't have money for Willian," he said.

"We cannot pay the wages that he gets at Arsenal so I didn't want to waste our time because we cannot pay these wages.

“He is still dangerous, he is still one of the best players in the Premier League. Apart from that, he is a good friend. I have nothing to hide in relation to that.

“We keep in touch, we keep in contact, we call each other. We wish good things to each other. He is my friend and of course he is a very good player."