Friday, 23rd August, 2013
Liverpool have formally confirmed they are financially incapable of matching the bids going around for Anzhi Makhachkala winger Willian.
The news may come as little surprise given that Willian is already believed to have undergone a medical ahead of a £30m move to Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea are attempting a late raid for the Brazilian and the offer price can, of course, only go up further.
And Liverpool, once a strong contender to land Willian given Anzhi's budget concerns, have given up the chase according to manager Brendan Rodgers.
"We identify targets and then try and get the deal done financially", Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
"Willian is a fantastic player. The club pushed as hard as they felt they could financially but it wasn’t to be.
"It’s the owners’ money and they will always have the final say because it’s they who run the club. The bottom line is he hasn’t come here.
"If you don’t get a player you want, there’s always that initial disappointment but you can’t dwell on it."
Liverpool did make some headway in the transfer market this summer, having bought Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure amid the uncertainty over Luis Suarez.
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