Liverpool ready to pay for £49m sensation

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes confirmed last week, alongside new head coach Arne Slot, that transfer dealings are likely to be carried out later into the summer transfer window.

This is not what fans had hoped for. Jurgen Klopp’s shock step-down from his manager’s role in May will prove to be the biggest watershed moment at Anfield since Klopp’s exciting step-up to the role back in 2015. Change has not so much been afoot as been a-trample.

But, still, Liverpool are watching and waiting as Premier League rivals and those abroad scurry around and fight to bring in gleaming new additions to serve their preliminary objectives.

Will Liverpool strike a deal before the 2023/24 league season kicks off in just over a month? FSG love an opportunity and will indeed issue a swoop if one emerges.

Well, the Reds have been reliably named among the contenders for one of the most coveted talents across all of Europe…

Liverpool transfer news

According to Caught Offside, Barcelona are leading the race for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, though Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all waiting in the wings.

Williams, 21, has been one of the standout players at Euro 2024 and is likely to leave Basque Country in the coming weeks, with a €58m (£49m) release clause in his contract marking an exciting opportunity.

Liverpool are financially equipped to complete the transfer, and while the Premier League sides are on the backseat, any falter from La Blaugrana could set the Reds up to strike.

Nico Williams’ Euro 2024 exploits

Williams might be in the maiden phase of his professional career but he has already made quite the name for himself, playing an instrumental role in Bilbao’s efforts last season – notably winning the Copa del Rey and ending a 40-year absence of silverware for the outfit – before being called up to Luis de la Fuente’s national side.

With La Roja barnstorming their way into the final of the European Championship, setting up a tantalising tie with the never-say-die England squad, Williams may well be in line to complete an audition for eagle-eyed Liverpool scouts – and top six rivals’ besides.

Across the German-hosted tournament, Williams has been a force to be reckoned with, blending fleet-footed dribbling with creative and penetrative expertise, breaking defensive lines and causing a catalogue of issues for his opponents.

A supreme playmaker and an indefatigable ball-carrier, Williams would be a sharp signing for Slot’s Liverpool. While the Merseysiders boast one of the Premier League’s finest left-wingers in Luis Diaz, the 27-year-old has faced questions about his output, notching only 13 goals and five assists over 51 matches for Liverpool last season.

The Colombian, for all his strengths, hasn’t reached the level of his Liverpool predecessor, but Williams could grab that mantle and then some.

Why Nico Williams would be perfect for Liverpool

Liverpool signed Sadio Mane from Southampton in a £34m package in 2016, with the up-and-coming Senegalese winger showcasing some giddying qualities during his two-year stint on the South Coast.

Across 269 appearances, Mane, now 32, scored 120 goals and supplied 42 assists for Klopp’s Liverpool, winning the whole gamut under the German and combining with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino to make one of the most fear-inducing strikeforces of modern times.

A player of electrifying movements and unflappable mental strength, Mane has undoubtedly cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s finest wingers, even described as “world-class” by Klopp, who was gushing over his “unbelievable level”.

During his final term on Merseyside, 2021/22, Liverpool fought tooth and nail across four fronts, chasing an unprecedented quadruple, but fell at the final week of action, missing out on the Premier League to Manchester City by the finest of margins and somehow losing the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Mane was immense throughout, and now Williams could bring the kind of lightning-fuelled fury to Anfield’s door. As per FBref, the Spaniard ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 20% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

He might not have the kind of inborn goalscoring instinct as Mane but Williams still claimed 27 goal contributions across 37 matches for Bilbao last season, including 19 assists. It’s no wonder that journalist Antonio Mango has marvelled over his “mind-boggling” ability.

This kind of playmaking prowess could pay dividends for a Liverpool side seeking success under Slot’s wing. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo are all proven strikers and Williams could complement such styles superbly.

Diaz is a top player but he’s not unexpendable at Liverpool, who would seek to reclaim a fee in excess of £50m to allow him to leave this summer.

Should such cogs fall into place, there’s no better talent on the market right now than Spain’s new left-sided superstar. FSG must throw the kitchen sink at foiling Barcelona and get this one done.