Reds are determined to land a big-money signing before the start of next month.
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Liverpool head coach Brendan Rodgers has been told by the club’s American owners that he does not have to first sell wantaway front man Luis Suarez before buying £35 million-rated Anzhi Makhachkala playmaker Willian this summer, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The Reds have so far been forced to reject two multimillion-pound offers from Premier League rivals Arsenal for their star man, with the Merseyside giants insistent that the Uruguay international is not for sale at any price during the close-season transfer window.
And now Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, have promised Rodgers the funds to splash out on a marquee signing before the window shuts for business on Sept 2, with the Northern Irishman having earmarked the hugely talented Brazil international as the man he wants.
Willian has only been at Anzhi since the turn of the year, when he moved to the big-spending Russian outfit from Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk for 35m euros.
However, with his employers now seeking to offload as many high earners from their wage bill as possible, the 25-year-old is reportedly available to buy for £35m this summer.
Consequently, Liverpool are now set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of a player who scored 37 goals in 222 appearances for Shakhtar between 2007 and 2013.