Gary Cahill has insisted he was never going to turn down the chance to join Chelsea after finally completing his £7million move from Bolton.
Cahill put the finishing touches to a reported five-and-a-half-year contract after spending more than a fortnight wrangling over personal terms that threatened to scupper the deal.
But the England defender, 26, suggested he had no intention of walking away from the protracted negotiations between his representatives and Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay.
"Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in, season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that," he told the Blues' official website.
"Opportunities like this, you can't turn down."
Cahill reportedly settled on wages of £80,000-per-week after meeting Gourlay, £20,000 less than the player was said to have demanded during initial talks.
Chelsea were once again far from convincing at the back and supporters will be hoping Cahill can provide much-needed solidity, something for which they were long renowned.
Speaking about Cahill's impending arrival, Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas said: "He has good technical abilities which is important in the way we want to play and to implement our philosophy.
"Competition will be tight for him but we brought him in to become better as a team."
Despite being part of a Bolton defence among the worst in the top flight this season, Cahill has performed well alongside Blues captain John Terry at international level, at which he has earned seven caps.
There were no shortage of admirers for the defender, with Arsenal seeing a bid rejected last summer and Tottenham also going close to landing him.
But Chelsea were the only serious January transfer window bidders, with Bolton opting to cash in on a player in the final six months of his contract.
Cahill told Wanderers' official website: "This is the right move for me at the right time and I would like to thank everyone at Bolton because I've had a great four years at the football club.
"My spell with Wanderers has enabled me to break into the England squad, and I would particularly like to thank the fans for their support along the way."
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