Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are locked in a race to sign Brazilian attacker Willian. The Anzhi Makhachkala winger has been rumoured to be transferring to Anfield in a £25 million deal. His current club Anzhi are keen to offload some of their high-wage earners and it appears as though Willian may be one of the first to go.
Tottenham attempted to sign the player in the previous transfer window but lost out to Anzhi. In recent weeks, Liverpool have been working actively to sign the player. According to the Telegraph, Tottenham have made contact over the weekend.
With both teams unable to offer Champions League football, the transfer hinges on their ability to agree on personal terms with the player. According to the Daily Mail, both clubs should be able to meet his £85,000 wage demands, and it is now up to him to decide whether he would like to work with Andre Villas-Boas (Tottenham manager) in London or with Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool manager) in Liverpool.
Willian will join a whole host of Brazilian players playing in England. Liverpool has Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Leiva in their team, while Tottenham have Sandro and Paulinho. On his official Twitter account, Willian follows all four countrymen.
For Liverpool, the signing would be a marked improvement to their first team. Rodgers was unable to purchase Diego Costa and Henrikh Mkhiraryan this transfer window and is still searching for that elusive attacking player.
For Tottenham, the signing of Willian would leave the club secure incase Gareth Bale decides to leave for Real Madrid. If Bale stays, however, it is difficult to see the Brazilian attaining a starting place, unless Villas-Boas plans on displacing Aaron Lennon.
Manchester United were also rumoured to be interested in the player but have since dropped out of the race.
