Brazilian forward Willian has told Goal that he must look to quit Anzhi Makhachkala in the future to progress his career and has opened the door to a move to the Premier League.
The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man, who joined Anzhi for €35 million [£30m] in January, was speaking after being placed at No.38 in the Goal 50 and, while he remains settled in Russia, he insists that another move is necessary for him to continue his rise as a force in in the world game.
"I tried to leave Shakhtar for over a year, but couldn’t do it," Willian explained.
"I had offers from big English clubs and from other places, but Shakhtar never accepted them. Anzhi were the only ones who agreed to pay for my release clause. I have enormous affection and respect for this club, but everybody knows that my dreams and desires haven’t changed.
"I have the goal of playing for a big club and being in the spotlight to rejoin the Brazil national team but for now I’m an Anzhi player, and I intend to keep playing here with a calm mind."
Chelsea and Tottenham both tracked the 24-year-old before he made the move to Anzhi, and he insists that former club Shakhtar continously blocked his attempts to leave for the Premier League.
"I tried every possible way to negotiate my exit, showing my desire to play for a big club, but they never really cared about it," he said.
"They were only willing to let me go if someone could pay the release clause fee. I wanted very badly to go to England, but I have no regrets and couldn’t wait any longer to leave Shakhtar. They used to tell me one thing and then act otherwise."