Director General of FC Shakhtar Donetsk Serhiy Palkin has confirmed that Ukrainian champions are in talks with Anji Makhachkala on the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Willian to the Russian club.

"The club is now at the stage of talks on the signing of a contract for the transfer of the player [Willian] to FC Anji. The results of these talks will be known only tomorrow [on February 1]," he wrote on his page on Facebook.

Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu, in turn, after the match against CSKA Moscow at the Copa del Sol tournament in Spain, has already commented on Willian's transfer to Anji in an interview with Sport-Express.

"Instead of the dream of playing for a strong club in the English league, which constantly performs in the Champions League and regularly plays with Barcelona, Real, Bayern and Manchester United, Willian chose money. I'm sorry, but that is his right," he said.

"I always try to be prepared for such a turn of fate. Shakhtar has never depended and will never depend on one player. With such Brazilians as Fernandinho, Alex Teixeira, Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano, our team is able to play football at a high European level. We'll try to prove it," Lucescu said.

According to the media, Anji will pay EUR 35 million to Shakhtar for Willian's transfer.

The 24-year-old Willian moved to Shakhtar in August 2007 from Brazil's Corinthians for $19 million. While playing for the Donetsk club he was a four-time Ukrainian champion and won the 2009 UEFA Cup.

In 2012, England's Chelsea and Tottenham and Italy's Juventus were actively interested in the Brazilian midfielder. Willian made no secret that he wanted to try his hand at a top European league.