Tottenham Transfer Rumours: Losing out on Willian Would Be Big Problem for Spurs

I guess not everything can go right for Tottenham this summer.

Spurs have arguably done the best business of any Premier League club. Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli were all astute additions and provided upgrades from what the club previously had.

The Telegraph's John Percy reported Tottenham is also on the cusp of moving Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £93 million. Losing a player of Bale's quality is never good, but Spurs will have done a great piece of business if they can sell him for that kind of fee.

What made the possible loss of Bale easier to take would have been the purchase of Anzhi Makhachkala winger Willian. David Hytner of The Guardian reported Spurs had a £30 million deal in place for the 25-year-old.

However, Chelsea very well may have beaten them to the punch.

Sky Sports News reported Jose Mourinho has confirmed the capture of Willian.

BBC Sport confirmed the news minutes later.

If that deal becomes official, it's a huge blow for Spurs.

Willian would have by no means been a direct replacement for Bale. The Brazilian could not have duplicated what Bale did for Spurs last season. He could, however, have slotted in on the left wing and been the creator that Andre Villas-Boas needs out wide. Willian is a pacy winger, much like Bale, who can use his skill to set up his teammates.

Paying £30 million is a bit much for the player, but he's still of an extremely high quality and will only continue getting better over the next few years.

Spurs were doing a great job of lining up a replacement upon the sale of their star player. Now those plans are thrown out the window. Missing out on Willian leaves little time for Tottenham to get much business done. 

They couldn't possibly halt the sale of Bale. That fee is simply too much to pass up if it is indeed the prospective offer. Plus, given how close the player is to making the move to Spain, Bale could become a toxic presence in the dressing room if he stays at White Hart Lane.

Although Spurs have a wealth of attacking midfielders, they don't have a lot of players who can provide width like Bale can or Willian would have.

Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend are better off sticking to the right side, so neither is a suitable replacement for the Welshman. Chadli is a natural left winger, but he's not the kind of game-changer who would propel Spurs into the Champions League. Lewis Holtby and Gylfi Sigurdsson are possible options, even though their best positions are in the centre of the pitch.

Villas-Boas would be smart to add another winger. At this point in the transfer market, though, he'll look very desperate. Spurs will have lost a lot of their negotiating power. They'll have to pay way over the odds for any prospective target because other clubs will know how badly Spurs need that Bale replacement.

There's also the issue of losing this player to Chelsea.

If Willian would have gone to a club outside the Premier League, it would be much more tolerable for Spurs. Instead, he's set to become a Blues player, thus meaning direct competition for Tottenham in their push up the Premier League table.

Spurs have done the best they can in their pursuit of Willian. Unfortunately it looks to be all for naught.