Liverpool are poised to make a £30m bid for the Brazilian midfielder Willian as the club’s pursuit of a high-profile summer signing goes on.
Willian moved to Anzhi Makhachkala from Shakhtar Donetsk during the last transfer window, also for £30m, having played a key role in helping the Ukrainian club reach the last-16 stage of last season’s Champions League. But having played only 17 times for Anzhi in all competitions since, he has been put up for sale, along with the rest of his team-mates, as part of the Russian club’s attempt to cut costs.
The 25-year-old, who has two caps, is predominately a left-sided player but can play on either flank or in a more advanced attacking position.
Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, is keen to sign a creative player and is believed to have targeted Willian having been frustrated earlier in the summer when the No1 target Henrikh Mkhitaryan turned down the chance to move from Shakhtar and instead opted to join Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
Willian would represent the type of big-statement signing Rodgers is keen to secure before the close of the transfer window having spent around £24m on Kolo Touré, Simon Mignolet, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto.
The purchase could also help Rodgers in his attempts to persuade Luis Suárez to remain at Liverpool after the Uruguayan publicly stating to the Guardian last week his desire to leave the club. Liverpool’s principal owner, John W Henry, reacted by stating the player would not be allowed to move on but such an outcome remains far from guaranteed.
© Guardian News & Media Limited 2014
Anzi are a mess of a club, will be a good signing for Liverpool if they get him but will they be able to match his wages.
Anzhi ha already said tell will be trying to cut half the 1st team squad , offering£30million would be madness when they could beat them down at least 10 the that
Smashing player
Liverpool wont buy him unless its on a season long loan and he is willing to play for forty grand a week. Thats coming from a red. Were getting like arsenal linked with everyone buy no one.
Well they’ve already bought 4 players this summer so that’s not exactly true, arsenal are a mess when it comes 2 signing players, at least liverpool have went out and bought already and hope this guy follows, could be a brilliant piece of business even if it could cost €30m.
Four unknowns which is exactly what arsenal do. Then they sell them. Just like arsenal we are linked with a marquee signing but cant match wages or just short on the bid and eventually lose out. A perfect example was the bloke with the mad name from Armenia.
Four unknowns wtf
You sir must not bother to watch the game
Well why don’t u spread some of ur knowledge on the game so, what have i said that had made u react that way, have i not spoken the truth.
I can understand people wanting to talk up their own club but things are getting silly now. If you honestly think Liverpool are a better run club than Arsenal I’m afraid you’re delusional. Your delusions can’t change facts, like the fact that Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League 16 seasons in a row. Or the fact that Liverpool finished 12 points behind Arsenal Last season. I’m not even an Arsenal supporter, I’m just attempting to bring some common sense.
Not once did i say Liverpool are a better run club and i wouldn’t even dream of saying somthing like that, i said they’re a shambles when it comes to the transfer market, which is blatant for every 1 2 see, bids for 3 top strikers with no end result.
“i said they’re a shambles when it comes to the transfer market”
If Arsenal are a shambles in the transfer market, what does that make Liverpool? They purchased Andy Carroll for £35,000,000 and sold him to West Ham for £15,500,000. A net loss of £19,500,000. Compare that £19,500,000 with the largest amount Arsenal ever spent on a transfer fee £13,000,000
Lord jasys ur not getting my point, i no all that, jasys ur some man for facts and figures, what I’m sayn is how many players have they bought this summer, where’s the top class striker that they badly need, they wouldn’t pay the big money needed to buy these players when they clearly have it to spend, all very fine getting top four every season but a club like arsenal need to be winning things and that ain’t goin 2 happen if there not willing to spend big on a top class striker.
just say 35mil or 20mil,its easier!
every club signs duds,we won the champ lge in 05 with the likes of Biscan,Josemi,Sinema Pongolle,le Tallec,so I for one will forgive Carroll,Downing and rough diamond Henderson
@sam That same team in 2005 failed to get a qualifying spot for the Champions league for the following season and had to be granted entry to the preliminary qualifying rounds if memory serves.
And not one of Josemi, Sinama Pongolle and Le Tallec has a Champions League Medal.
Cause you knew all Aspas and Alberto. Lying fool
but they all played a part in getting to and winning the final,no?
just said they won it in 05,nothing more…
I dont remember any of them playing any sort of part in the campaign. If you said Neil Mellor now, I’d understand. Josemi didnt sign till the next season either.
Well i hope he was there, either that or some one photo shopped him into the celebrations that night. Josemi signed in 04 and left in 06.
Willian wont go to Liverpool. Lol
This lads bring offered around Europe for the last 3 years with none of the big boys taking a chance on him, we don’t need him anyway, plenty of options in midfield, spend it on a top striker/centre half
Waste of an argument lets see what happens then have ur say if u know for sure Liverpool won’t sign him or they will is there any chance you have the lotto numbers
Big pat I certainly hope youre not a lpool fan they all got a medal and contributed through the CL 04/05 season, @ Peter govan so you haven’t heard of mignolet or kolo route and if you watched Spanish football u would know Aspas was celts vigos main man and kept them up last season so you haven’t a scooby doo!
Anyway willian won’t sign unless he takes a pay cut
Lol kolo toure!
Dreaming, never will happen