Chelsea first started chasing Willian over two years ago, when current Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas was still new to the job at Stamford Bridge. It looks as if they've finally got their man, as Willian was granted a work permit (according to the Daily Mail) and will likely be officially announced later today.
Willian will fill the 17th and final international spot on Chelsea's domestic roster, and increases the logjam for the UEFA roster that will need to be submitted soon. Now that it looks as if we're turning our attention away from Wayne Rooney, at least one player is likely to lose a spot because of the signing.
I'd be surprised if Willian was included in the squad for Friday's match against Bayern Munich, but he'll no doubt get some camera time sitting in the stands. I imagine that will make some fans on the northern side of London pretty unhappy, and that's enough to make me smile.