Chelsea and Spurs set for Willian battle after Inter Milan rule out move

Inter Milan have confirmed they will not be signing Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian in January - leaving Chelsea and Tottenham to battle it out for the Brazilian.

It has been widely reported that the Serie A side have been impressed with the playmaker and were considering a New Year bid.

Inter have had a promising first third of the season and currently sit second in the division - and the addition of a player in Willian's class may have helped them knock Juventus off the top.

But now Marco Branca, the club's sporting director, has revealed that Andrea Stramaccioni will not be given any money to spend in the January sales.

He told Sky Italia: "It's not down to where we are in the table whether we will make signings in January, there are other factors to consider.

"At this moment in time, there's no way we'll be investing in January for other reasons. It's the same situation in many other industry sectors. We're in an economic crisis."