Meet Willian. Slightly odd name, seriously talented footballer, and, if he gets his way, arriving in the Premier League very soon.
The Brazilian winger belongs to Shakhtar Donetsk but is in London this week to stock up on baby clothes.
The 23-year-old’s wife Vanesa is expecting twins in March so Willian has been doing a fair amount of window shopping. Which brings us nicely to the transfer window.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have all shown interest in the £13million-rated former Corinthians man and have less than two weeks in which to replace interest with hard cash.
‘I would love to play in England,’ he says coyly, not wishing to upset Shakhtar, who signed him four years ago for £9.3m.
Capital venture: Willian takes a break from shopping in London this week
‘The league is one of the best and there are some great clubs here: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City. Clubs with big players who play attractive football. I like Chelsea and Arsenal’s styles a lot. I’d be very happy to play for Tottenham too and help get them back into the Champions League. They’re a very big club.’
Willian — or Willian Borges da Silva to use his full name — would fit well into the Barclays Premier League.
He’s fast, direct, scores goals — he has netted one and set up three in five matches in Ukraine so far this season — and doesn’t seem the type to be falling out of nightclubs on a Saturday night. He’s a quiet, family man, his sparkly earrings the only real clue to his wealth.
He’s incredibly shy but clearly likes what he sees in England.
‘I like London a lot,’ he adds. ‘There are so many people, lots of shops and restaurants. It’s like Sao Paulo.’
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