Willian Borges da Silva, commonly known as Willian, seems set to join the premier league from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. After years of unrestricted spending, Anzhi have decided to focus on Russian players and release their foreign superstars. Willian has been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. It seems that Liverpool are the most likely to secure his signature.
"For now, all there is are talks," Willian told ESPN. "Now I'm waiting for a new bid to arrive in the next days from a few clubs, like Liverpool."
The Brazilian attacker calls Liverpool a 'great club'.
"If it's really Liverpool, then it is surely a great club," he continued. "I'm hopeful and very calm, just waiting for the best."
"I know some clubs have talked with my agent about the money, but he hasn't told me anything," he explained. "He only said that he had conversations with some clubs, and he also didn't tell me which clubs."
The player was signed by Anzhi from Shakhtar Donetsk in January this year, for a transfer fee of around £30 million, but it seems the Russian outfit will be willing to sell due to their new policy.
The player reveals that the English Premier League is his likely destination.
"I think so. England is my goal," he said. "The English championship is the dream of many players and I'm no different."
"I like the Premier League very much, I enjoy the English football and certainly, if that happens, it will be very good for me and for my image," he added.
When asked about Anzhi owner Suleiman Kerimov's new resuced spending policy, Willian concedes that he was taken aback by the news. The player also underlines that the club will be looking more towards local players in the future.
"I saw the news on the internet, and then when I got to the club I heard lots of people talking about it," he said. "No one was expecting it, that's for sure. I respect everyone's opinion, though. He probably has his reasons to decide that."
"I'd rather stay cool, working and never let my head down, even in a situation like this," he continued. "All I know is that [Kerimov] told us that Anzhi wouldn't be making further investments, that in six months they will be returning to Makachkala, that they'll be going home, that more Russian players will arrive and that if the foreign players who had offers would be free to go, that he would help us."
While none of the foreign players will be free, Anzhi will be willing to accept drastically lower bids for them.
"He doesn't want to let anyone go for free but he made it clear that if good bids arrive, something at least close to what he paid for the players, he would certainly help us go," Willian said. "[He is] not giving anyone away. If a good offer arrives, they'll let us go. If not, we stay. That's it."
