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Liverpool FC have been left frustrated in their pursuit of Willian – with the Anzhi Makhachkala winger now set to join Tottenham Hotspur in a £30m deal.

The Reds had been hopeful of landing the Brazilian, after it was revealed Anzhi were desperate to cut their playing budget by more than 60% this summer.

Initial conversations with the Russian club had been promising, and Liverpool were prepared to pay big for the 25-year-old, but the interest of Spurs, long-time admirers of the former Shakhtar Donetsk man, looks to have scuppered any deal.

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has tracked the player since his time at Chelsea and that, plus the fact that Spurs can offer European football, looks to have tipped the balance in their favour.

Willian flew to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms at White Hart Lane. His capture will be the third time this summer that Spurs have broken their transfer record, and they are set to spend further in the next 10 days, with Gareth Bale's world record move to Real Madrid edging ever closer

For Liverpool, though, there is only disappointment. The Reds have struggled all summer long to land the kind of marquee signing manager Brendan Rodgers has been hoping for.

Moves for Shakhtar's Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa failed to materialise despite strong initial interest. Mkhitaryan eventually joined Borussia Dortmund, while Costa signed an extended contract at Atletico. Rodgers remains eager to add to his squad before the transfer window closes on September 2, though is well aware that time is against him, as he prepares to pursue alternative targets.

The Reds have so far added four permanent players – Simon Mignolet, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas and Kolo Toure – to their squad this summer, though the money spent on those signings has been more than offset by the sales of players such as Andy Carroll, Jonjo Shelvey and Stewart Downing.

The club's wage bill, meanwhile, has been further trimmed by the retirement of Jamie Carragher, and the loaning of Pepe Reina to Napoli.

A deal to sign Aly Cissokho on a season-long loan from Valencia was secured on Tuesday and they retain an interest in Sporting Lisbon centre back Tiago Ilori, having held fresh talks with the player's agent at the weekend.

Rodgers, though, says a wide midfielder who can provide “pace and goals” is a priority, and Liverpool are well aware of the need to avoid a repeat of last summer.

Then, key targets were missed, leaving Rodgers to juggle an inexperienced, threadbare squad for the first four months of the season, something which contributed heavily to the Reds' slow start to the campaign.

Club owner John W Henry insisted earlier this month that funds were available to strengthen with this time around, though Rodgers has admitted recently that the lack of European football at Anfield is a barrier when it comes to landing big-name players.