Who will join Frank Lampard's Blues? Get our daily Chelsea newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Roman Abramovich has personally launched a stunning bid to derail Tottenham’s plans for replacing Gareth Bale.

Billionaire Chelsea owner Abramovich phoned fellow Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov, owner of Anzhi Makhachkala, to offer him £32million for Spurs target Willian.

The Brazilian, expected to sign for Spurs on Thursday after he passed his medical, instead held talks with the west Londoners instead.

Tottenham had been hoping to complete the double signing of the Brazillian and Argentine winger Erik Lamela to clear the way for the sale of Gareth Bale, which is still imminent.

Real Madrid’s website has jumped the gun by starting to sell No.11 shirts with the Welshman’s name on the back.

The White Hart Lane club had been set to smash their own club transfer record for the third time this summer with the £30m capture of Willian.

But Chelsea’s late interest in the Anzhi playmaker could wreck their plans to re-invest the Bale transfer money.

After his side’s 5-0 Europa League play-off win at Dinamo Tbilisi, Spurs coach Andre Villas-Boas said: “I confirmed our interest in the player. Everything is possible, but I’m not aware of the circumstances because of our involvement in the game.

“I don’t want it to be a distraction over what we achieved here tonight.

“We have been active in the market and achieved great players as we were able to act quickly. We want to continue that way so it is very difficult for me to speak about players that belong to other clubs.”

Lamela is expected to complete his £26m move from Roma this weekend. His brother Brian Lamela tweeted, then deleted: “Erik is more than sure to go to England.”

Completing both deals would take Tottenham’s spending to an incredible £120m – second only to Monaco in the European summer spending charts.