Todd Boehly has only been Chelsea's owner for under a month and he has already upset one of the club's north London rivals.
On this occasion, it was those of an Arsenal persuasion as reports emerged from multiple sources that the Blues were close to agreeing a deal with Leeds United to sign Raphinha. At a fee of £55m, which could yet rise higher, Boehly has effectively hijacked a move that the Gunners felt confident in finalising.
Should the deal officially go through and Boehly secures the first major signing of his ownership, there will be many laughs had amongst Chelsea fans about how they got another one over Arsenal.
READ MORE: Chelsea agree £55m Raphinha transfer as Raheem Sterling signing edges closer
Some more chuckles would have been had when Nizaar Kinsella of Goal also reported later on Tuesday evening that the winger had also rejected Spurs before Chelsea jumped to the front of the queue.
All of this brings to mind the summer of 2013 when the Blues scuppered Spurs' attempts to sign another Brazllian winger. Nine years ago it was Willian from the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.
In 2021, former Anzhi director Herman Tkachenko gave more insight into the late twist that saw Willian choose Jose Mourinho over Andre Villas-Boas.
"Funny story. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had closed Willian at the club base!" Tkachenko told Sport-Express. "He had almost signed a contract with them - in my opinion, he even signed the first sheet. Even passed a medical examination. And Levy was twisting my arm at that moment. He did not want to make solidarity payments (to the previous clubs). This was five percent, and he insisted that we split them in half. I said, 'No, you pay them in full'.
"While we were discussing all this with him, I get a message from Willian: 'Jose called me!' And Roman Abramovich called me about Willian. And Suleiman, who also wanted Willian to join Chelsea. In general, Levy had no chance."
Willian signed for a deal worth around £30m and went on to become a valued member of two title-winning squads, along with involvement in more trophy wins across the next eight years, making 339 appearances, scoring 63 goals and creating 64 more.
The hijack itself became a major inspiration for the chant that would accompany the winger for the entirety of his time at Stamford Bridge.
Although Willian divided opinion amongst supporters over his consistency, he was a very durable player for several coaches, consistently finding himself a regular starter for the vastly different coaching personalities who passed through west London. Among the current attacking confusion under Thomas Tuchel, the need for players like Willian looks more valuable than it once did.
Chelsea are hoping to complete the transfer for Raphinha, with personal terms thought to not be a major issue. The transfer is an early statement of intent from Boehly and Tuchel, but it also provides the bonus of embarrassing north London rivals, which is never a bad thing if you are a Chelsea fan.
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