Fernando Llorente admits he 'fell in love' with Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino after rejecting Chelsea

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Fernando Llorente has lifted the lid on the summer saga that saw him miss out on a move to Premier League champions Chelsea, only to join Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

The Spaniard excelled for Swansea in his debut season in England, scoring 15 times to help the Welsh club avoid the drop.

That form earned him a two-year deal with Spurs in August, but he admits he was left with a tricky decision as the clock ticked down.

Fernando Llorente admits he fell in love with Tottenham when he joined the club in August

He told Spanish newspaper Marca: 'Yes, it was a difficult decision that I had to take at the last moment. Conte, who I admire since I was with him at Juventus, showed a great interest in me since last January. 

'But Chelsea didn't finish things with Swansea.'

The 32-year-old worked under Chelsea boss Antonio Conte for one season after the Italian brought him to Juventus in 2013.

And though he would have embraced a reunion with his former manager, he admits he was won over by Mauricio Pochettino's project at Spurs.

The Spaniard joined Spurs on deadline day after just a single season at Swansea

'With Tottenham everything was easier and faster. Pochettino called me on 30th August and I fell in love, I was filled with enthusiasm after his words and his sports project.

'I thought I was going to Chelsea but Tottenham finally bet more firmly for me, they didn't hesitate and they reached an agreement very fast with Swansea. 

'They were very difficult decisions and at the last moment… For all these circumstances, I decided to come to Tottenham.'

Llorente was close to joining Chelsea and working under Antonio Conte once again