City will pip Chelsea and Tottenham for Anzhi star Willian…
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Manchester City look set to continue their summer spending, and have lodged a £35m bid for Anzhi Makhachkala’s Brazilian playmaker Willian, according to The Express.
Chelsea and Spurs are said to be interested, but big-spending City have reportedly stolen a march on their English rivals.
The Premier League runners-up have already swamped any other English club in the transfer market, spending over £100m on the impressive quadruplet of Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo and Fernandinho. The latter starred with City’s target for Shakhtar Donetsk, before Willian joined huge-spending Anzhi in January 2013 for £30m. Willian would likely cost a similar amount to Fernandinho, which is a considerable for amount for a South American totally unproven in the Premier League.
City though, could be tempted to take advantage of Anzhi’s new policy…
The Russians wish to change their expensive approach, cutting their budget and focussing on developing the academy. They have therefore effectively transfer-listed the entire squad, meaning that big clubs like City could snap up some of their expensive talent, with Willian seen as their most prized asset.
He is technically outstanding, and has the ability to carve open defences with clever chipped passes, zipped through-balls and the odd audacious flick. At 25-years-old, he is more than ready to move to an elite European league. This may help him add to the measly 2 caps he has for Brazil, which is particularly low for a player of his calibre.
Where Willian will fit in the City line-up is another matter altogether. The Sky Blues are ridden with attacking midfield talent – and with the likes of Samir Nasri, David Silva, Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure and Stevan Jovetic, it seems strange that Manuel Pellegrini would want to add yet another playmaker to his squad.