Moises Caicedo admits he was always holding out for a move to Chelsea despite interest from Arsenal.
The Ecuador international joined Chelsea in a £115 million deal from Brighton two years ago.
Arsenal, meanwhile, had multiple offers for Caicedo rejected by Brighton, including a bid of £70m.
Caicedo struggled to find consistent form in his first season at Chelsea but under Enzo Maresca, the 24-year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Caicedo was asked about his decision to join Chelsea ahead of Arsenal in 2023.
‘Everything happens for a reason,’ Caicedo said.
‘I almost did it but now I’m here and I’m so happy. The timing was good.
‘I waited until Chelsea came for me. People laughed. They said I chose the wrong place, but sometimes you need time to adapt to a big team. I needed that.
‘I want to give everything to this club because they didn’t doubt me. I chose Chelsea because they have ambitions. I want to win trophies – more trophies with this club.
‘I would like to be here for a long time. I want to keep playing like this but get even better. I want more trophies with this club.’
