After a rough start in the Premier League, Andre Villas-Boas finally seems to be recovering the reputation he worked so hard to build at FC Porto.
The fact he’s succeeding at Tottenham is probably evidence that Chelsea is a fairly awful place to work and that the North London side is run in a better, more constructive fashion.
But if AVB is to keep this particular ship of good feeling afloat, he may have to make a couple of additions to his squad whilst the January transfer window is still open.
Tottenham fans must be desperate for their team to see out the rest of the season, without falling foul of any decline of form (as was the case last season, when they were unlucky to miss out on a Champions League slot). What better way to prevent this than guarding against complacency and improving the squad?
According to The Metro, Tottenham are keen to sign long-term transfer target and Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian. Spurs have been looking to trim their wage bill, by putting players like David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas out to pasture. The hope is that this money will be reinvested in quality players like Willian.
Whilst Spurs have been linked to the Brazilian for a while now, he’s undergoing disciplinary actions at Shakhtar which may help persuade the Ukrainian club to sell if Tottenham come in with the right price.
The 24-year-old is believed to have called his manager, Mircea Lucescu to tell him that he would not be attending his club’s January training camp. Luscescu has hit back, suggesting ‘it was unprofessional of him’ to skip out on this training activity.
‘I would like him to solve his problems in a civilised manner here in Donetsk, and not by phone. I have great respect for Willian and I would not like him to be put under pressure by the people who surround him, and who perhaps advise him the wrong things. He should reject the advice of those who surround him – they are not doing very good things. With or without Willian, Shakhtar will move on.’ (Source: The Metro)
It’s interesting to hear Lucescu suggest that they’d get by without Willian. Does this mean that Shakhtar are ready and willing to sell?
He may well cost Spurs approximately £20m, but this is a fair price given the quality of the player. He’s a technically gifted young star, with lots of pace, an eye for goal and a positive, attacking attitude. He’d fit in extremely well at Tottenham.
Isn’t now the perfect time to test the waters with a bid?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.