Tottenham Transfer Rumours: Erik Lamela Talks Held, Chelsea Stealing Willian?

Tottenham look to set to lose out to Chelsea on the capture of brilliant Brazilian Willian, but they plan to complete the signing of Roma’s Argentinian forward Erik Lamela, according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror.

UPDATE: Friday, August 23, at 13:25 BST

ESPN reporter Miguel Delaney and the Independent's Sam Wallace provide the latest from Jose Mourinho's press conference:

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UPDATE: Friday, August 23, at 12:56 BST

From PA Sport reporter Paul Hirst:

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UPDATE: Thursday, August 22, at 21:20 BST

Russian journalists Artur Petrosyan and Dmitriy Simonov have suggested Chelsea have bid €40 million for Willian—€5 million more than Spurs have offered.

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UPDATE: Thursday, August 22, at 19:15 BST

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea are trying to hijack the Willian to Spurs deal.

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Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Willian from Anzhi Makachkala according to Sky sources.

The Stamford Bridge club have made their move after London rivals Tottenham held talks with Willian earlier on Thursday.

The 25-year-old appears to be keeping his options open.

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UPDATE: Thursday, August 22, at 13:13 BST

From Sky Sports:

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Brazil international Willian has passed his medical at Tottenham and talks are continuing over a five-year deal, according to Sky sources.

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UPDATE: Wednesday, August 21, at 18:35 BST

Sky Sports have suggested Willian is all set for a move to Tottenham, subject to a medical.

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A five-year contract between the player and the club has been agreed, and Spurs are set to smash their transfer record (again) by paying £30 million for the Anzhi Makhachkala ace.

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UPDATE: Wednesday, August 21, at 9:50 a.m. BST

L'Equipe, via Eurosport, hints Roma are planning for life after Lamela:

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Willian made his way to a London hotel on Tuesday ahead of a medical, after Spurs topped Liverpool’s offer for the Anzhi Makhachkala attacker. Lewis provides further details: 

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Ambitious Tottenham are set to send their summer spending spree crashing through the £100 million barrier. Boss Andre Villas-Boas will break the club's record transfer fee for the third time in a matter of weeks after seeing off Liverpool to land £30 million Anzhi Makhachkala playmaker Willian.

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A naturally fit player, Tottenham will have no fears over the results of Willian’s medical, and, with the fee settled according to Lewis, the only remaining stumbling block is the personal demands of the player.

The Daily Mail's Neil Ashton reports that Spurs opened discussions with the 25-year-old over his contract on Tuesday night, while Jack De Menezes of the The Independent outlines the weekly figure Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be required to pay:

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Willian is unlikely to take a pay cut from his current £85,000-a-week contract, meaning Spurs will have to shell out a significant sum in both a transfer fee and wages...

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The books will be balanced by the increasingly likely move of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, which will soon be tied up for a total of £93 million according to respected Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

However, Willian will not represent the end of Spurs’ summer transfer activity, with the North London club said to be in talks with Roma over £29 million-rated forward Lamela.

Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail claims Spurs hope to secure the signature of the 21-year-old forward, who scored 15 goals in 35 appearances last season, ahead of Sunday’s league encounter with Swansea.

And even more names could follow, notably Bulgarian starlet Todor Nedelev for £5 million, per 101 Great Goals, and Ajax defender Toby Alderweireld—another reported target of Liverpool.

Spurs’ summer transfer activity displays Levy’s intent to establish the club as perennial title challengers, sacrificing world star Bale in order to build a squad that is no longer reliant upon one individual.

By capturing Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli, Levy will hope to add Willian, Lamela, Fabio Coentrao and potentially one or two more names to the squad to drive Spurs into the Champions League with the type of regularity rivals Arsenal have enjoyed over the past decade-and-a-half.