Transfer news: Willian 'agrees personal terms' with Tottenham and could complete £30m move today
Arrival of Brazilian signals exit for Gareth Bale
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Your support makes all the difference.Willian has agreed personal terms with Tottenham on a deal understood to be worth £85,000-a-week.
According to the Evening Standard, the Brazilian playmaker will sign a four-year contract and his arrival at White Hart Lane could be announced as soon as today.
Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas officially revealed for the first time today that a deal is on.
"I can't really confirm anything regarding Willian. There is interest in the player and there have been conversations," he said at a press conference prior to Tottenham's Europa League play-off against Dinamo Tbilisi.
Should the transfer for the Anzhi Makhachkala star go through, at £30m it would represent a new transfer record for Spurs - and the third time they have broken it this summer following the captures of Paulinho for £17m and Roberto Soldado for £26m.
It would also see their summer spending reach £90m.
It all points to an impending exit for Gareth Bale. The Wales international and last year's Players' and Football Writers' player of the year is the subject of interest from Real Madrid, and a new world record fee in excess of the £80m paid for Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be set.
The latest reports claim their is an £86m cash only offer on the table.
Villas-Boas has been an admirer of Willian's talents for some time having made an attempt to buy him while manager of Chelsea and then when he arrived at Spurs last year.
The 25-year-old, who can play out wide and as an attacking midfielder, has previously spoken of his desire to play in English football and impressed while playing for Shakhtar Donetsk against Chelsea in the Champions League last season.
Spurs’ ambition is not stopping there and they have met with Roma officials for more talks over Argentina star Erik Lamela.
The Serie A club are prepared to sell another prize asset to raise funds for more signings of their own having already agreed the £15m sale of Pablo Osvaldo to Southampton earlier this week.
Roma want in excess of £20m for Lamela, and Spurs are prepared to break the £100m barrier on player purchases this summer to get him.
There have also been suggestions that Fabio Coentrao could arrive from Real Madrid as part of the Bale deal. Discussing those possible arrivals, AVB admitted his admiration for the players.
"They have not signed for Spurs. Both of them are great, great players, but I cannot extend myself," he said.
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