How Willian can shape up the top-4 battle in the EPL
A little over ten days before, news broke of Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala having put their entire squad up for sale. The news rose a few eyebrows with the Russian giants, backed by a multi-billionaire not long ago, snapped the likes of Willian, Eto’o and more recently Christopher Samba from QPR in a bid to strengthen their squad.
Many fans seemed bemused, assuming it to be a lame April fool prank coming too late, but it was not to be. The following hours witnessed a series of announcements, each more puzzling than the other, but put a stamp on the news of Anzhi going down the barrel.
Debates sparked off from all corners as to why the big spending Russians and heavy-weight title challengers are cutting-back on the team, but that’s a long, different story in its own, not worth the topic.
Coming straight back to the point- The decision by owner Kerimov to cut down on the budget drastically from a massive 116 million pounds to somewhere in the region of 24-32 million pounds has not only prompted wide-open eyes, but also open gates for other clubs to land their prodigies. The move has also made the scalp of the prized assets in the Russian outfit from a mere passing thought to now a reality for clubs around.
As things stand, Liverpool and Tottenham are engrossed in a battle for Brazilian wonder Willian. Liverpool, having identified weakness in their wide areas, have zeroed-in on the 25-year-old midfielder to solve their woes. Liverpool for long have struggled to find an apt wide-man who has goals in him to go with the kind of impact the Reds are looking for on the flanks. Though, Downing had an above-par second half of the season last-term, putting it blatantly, he wasn’t ideally Liverpool class and not what the Anfield faithful had set sights on for long.
Despite the fact that Willian would come in expensive and has hefty wages to be looked after, Reds are in no way taking a back-seat with a prospective move for the former Shakhtar Donetsk star, given there are not many players like him around. Willian is one with pace, trickery and has goals in him. Adapt at playing wide, Willian comes in as an ideal signing for the top-4 challenge mounting Liverpool side. Also, with Suarez set to miss five more games having bitten Chelsea defender Ivanovic at the end of last season, Willian will be a key figure at Liverpool to provide the much needed early impetus and momentum going into the season.
On the flip side, Tottenham boasts of a few good names in wide-areas namely Bale, Lennon, Chadli and with Sigurdsson drafting in well in that position last term, the Londoners wing looks much better. But with Bale’s future uncertain, and as it is cliché with Tottenham after every Liverpool target, starting from Sigurdsson, Dempsey, Soldado, to now moving in late for the Brazilian medio Willian to hijack Liverpool’s bid.
With Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United almost certain to make it into the top-four , cometh the end of season and Arsenal stubborn on not spending despite high-flying promises in the summer, followed with lackluster bids very well knowing the clubs are aware of the fact that they haven’t spent a quartet of the 70 mn pounds war chest have more or less put the fight for the fourth spot between Liverpool and Tottenham.