Tottenham Hotspur finally completed the deal to bring in Jan Vertonghen from Ajax Amsterdam, and the defender admitted to being relieved to end the saga.
The signing of Vertonghen from Ajax was delayed for months after Ajax refused to sanction a 15 per cent cut to the defender of the reported £9 million ($14 million) transfer fee.
However, all parties finally came to an agreement and Vertonghen's move will be made official once the 25-year-old completes a medical at Spurs this week.
"I am very relieved," Vertonghen told Sky Sports News.
"It went on for a long time, but I'm glad I'm a Tottenham player right now and I'm looking forward to playing for the club.
"I am 25 years old now and I feel ready to play in the Premier League. I have heard a lot of good stories from my Belgium team-mates.
"I think I'm ready.
"I heard that Harry Redknapp really wanted me to play for Tottenham, but now it's Andre Villas-Boas. To me, that doesn't matter.
"I just want to play for the club and I hope I can please the fans at the club."
Spurs announced the signing of Vertonghen in a statement on their official website.
"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Ajax for the transfer of Jan Vertonghen, subject to a medical," the statement read.
"The 2011/12 campaign was the Belgium international's most successful season to date -- being named Ajax captain at the start and going on to lead the Dutch side to their second straight league title.
"The centreback's impressive performances did not go unnoticed as he was named Eredivisie Player of the Year as well as Ajax's Player of the Year in a season that saw him score 10 times in 37 appearances.
"In total, Jan made 220 appearances and scored 28 goals for Ajax since making his debut for them in 2006."
Vertonghen becomes Villas-Boas' second signing after the Portuguese brought in Gylfi Sigurdsson from Hoffenheim for £8 million ($12.3 million).
Tottenham have been linked with moved for Internacional pair Leandro Damiao and Oscar while Villas-Boas is also trying to bring in compatriot Joao Moutinho from FC Porto.
Gareth Bale pledged his future to Spurs by signing a four-year deal recently, however, it is looking increasingly likely that Luka Modric will leave the London club, with Real Madrid the frontrunners for the playmaker's signature. Manchester United and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest for the 26-year-old Croatian international.
The future of Rafael Van der Vaart is also uncertain with former club Hamburg and Schalke monitoring the attacking midfielder's situation.
