Rene Meulensteen hails ‘trump card’ Willian.
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Former Anzhi Makhachkala manager Rene Meulensteen has praised potential Tottenham signing Willian, tipping the Brazilian to be a big success in the Premier League.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, the former Manchester United coach, who spent less than a month in charge of the Russian side, was cautious in comparing Willian to Gareth Bale, but says he was a real joy to work with.
“You can’t compare the two, he’s a completely different player,” he said.
“I’ve worked with him for a short time but I really, really like him. If it’s Spurs that’s going to get him they’ll get an excellent player.
“He’s very versatile, he can play in different positions, he’s a very creative player and an excellent professional with a very good personality.
“He’s going to be a major trump card for Spurs if they can get the deal to go through.
“He can beat a player, he can score a goal. I thought he was an absolute delight to work with.”
Willian has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this summer, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, but Tottenham stepped up their interest with news that Bale was likely to leave the club in a massive £93million deal to Real Madrid.
The sale of Bale, who scored 26 goals for Spurs last season, has allowed Andre Villas-Boas to spend big on new players this summer, and Willian will likely become the club’s record signing if he joins for £30million, though this could soon be matched by another arrival in Erik Lamela from Roma.
Anzhi are a club in crisis at the moment, and are keen to sell off their high-earning players after financial problems and poor results on the pitch. This could also see former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o leave the club for either Chelsea or Manchester United.