Former Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles has revealed that he never intended to leave Anfield, but the opportunity to reunite with manager Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea ultimately convinced him to make the switch in 2011.
Meireles' Liverpool Career
Meireles joined Liverpool from Porto in August 2010 for £11.5 million under then-manager Roy Hodgson. The Portuguese midfielder made 44 appearances for the Reds, scoring five goals and establishing himself as a key figure in the centre of the park.
His intelligent play and eye for goal made him a fan favourite at Anfield, and it appeared Liverpool had found a long-term midfield anchor. However, Chelsea's appointment of Villas-Boas, who had previously worked with Meireles at Porto, changed everything.
The Transfer to Chelsea
On deadline day of the summer 2011 transfer window, Chelsea activated Meireles' £12 million release clause, securing his services. The move drew comparisons to Fernando Torres' £50 million transfer to Chelsea six months earlier, with Liverpool confirming in both cases that transfer requests had been submitted.
Meireles, however, insisted there was no animosity involved. Speaking after his move to Stamford Bridge, he said: "When I was at Porto, I knew that I wanted to leave and the club wanted to sell me, and I only had to wait for the right choice. I made the right choice last year to come to England and to come to Liverpool, and this year was different because I knew that I didn't want to leave Liverpool. I felt that the new owners didn't want to sell me, but when I knew that Chelsea and Andre wanted me, it convinced me."
He added: "It was strange, because I knew of the interest of Chelsea, and the interest of the coach, and it was a pleasure to come to this club but it was strange because it was on the last day. The people think that I wanted to leave and it is only because Chelsea wanted me. For Andre to want me, that is why I wanted to go."
Success at Chelsea
Meireles enjoyed success at Chelsea, winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League during his time at the club. However, following Villas-Boas' dismissal by the Chelsea board in March 2012, Meireles was sold to Turkish side Fenerbahce for £8 million in September 2012.
Before joining Chelsea, Meireles had regularly troubled the Blues. He scored against them in a Champions League encounter while at Porto and played a key role in Liverpool's league double over Chelsea the previous season, netting the decisive goal at Stamford Bridge.
Reflecting on his move, Meireles said: "I have a lot of friends here, Portuguese players that I know from Porto and the national team, and Jose Bosingwa helped me a lot in these first days. I know that Chelsea is a great club, one of the best clubs in the world, and it is not too difficult to convince me to come."
