Danilo says the lure of playing for Pep Guardiola made it an easy decision to plump for Manchester City over rivals Chelsea.
City turned their attentions to the Brazil right-back after missing out on Dani Alves and signed off on a reported £26.5million fee to Real Madrid despite having paid £50m to bring in Kyle Walker.
Danilo was thought to have been on the cusp of joining Premier League champions Chelsea, who are on the lookout for competition for Victor Moses.
The 26-year-old also claims Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane tried to convince him to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Danilo was swayed by the prospect of playing for Guardiola.
"It wasn't a difficult decision to choose City over Chelsea," he told reporters at an event in Los Angeles.
"The moment City called me and Pep called me, I knew what I had to do. Pep's words motivated me to be ready for this.
"It was very fast. I was training with Real Madrid and Pep called me and I was very motivated to make this change and start to work with him.
"Zidane tried to make me stay but I was sure I needed to change. I needed to think a bit more about myself and find a place where I had more options."
At Madrid, Danilo was part of a side that had won back-to-back Champions League titles and LaLiga last term, but he is confident of more success at the Etihad Stadium.
"I have no doubt we can win the Champions League, that's why I chose this team. In all the teams I've played for in my life, the objectives have always been the same," he said.
"I'm going to try my best to adapt as soon as possible. I see the potential in this side and I am going to do my best.
"With every change, you have to adapt. I hope my adaptation is going to be very short and I will work very hard for it. Then I can start working and helping the team."
