Catalan newspaper El Nacional has reported that Liverpool are set to reignite their interest in singing Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao following his impressive displays at Euro 2024.
The Spanish international is having a productive tournament in Germany and has been crucial in his country’s run to the quarter-finals, where they are set to face the competition’s hosts on Friday.
Williams has also come into the summer off the back of a brilliant campaign with Athletic Club, in which he scored eight goals and provided 19 assists in all competitions.
Liverpool had been interested in him earlier in the summer, but were put off by the young forward’s wage demands, which stood at £300,000 per week, El Nacional’s report adds.
If Williams is to be paid in that bracket, his salary at Anfield would have been in the highest echelons, also exceeding the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.
However, with Luis Diaz being tempted by a move to Barcelona, the report adds, Williams has once again established himself as a realistic transfer option on Liverpool’s radar.
He has a release clause amounting to approximately £50 million at Athletic Bilbao, who are not willing to negotiate a lower fee for the 21-year-old prodigy.
Chelsea are also interested in his services but are under significant financial pressure so may not be able to trigger the release clause in Williams’ contract in Spain.
A long-term investment for Liverpool
If Luis Diaz departs for Barcelona, Liverpool would have freed up a considerable portion of their wage bill and would also pocket a decent sum for the Colombian international.
It would equip them to afford Williams more comfortably than before and there is every reason to believe that the Basque youngster would be a worthy investment for the Reds.
He is a modern-day winger with neat dribbling and footwork out-wide, as well as the ability to get into the box and score goals fairly frequently.
Williams has produced fantastic numbers at Athletic Bilbao, who are not as potent offensively as Liverpool, and together with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, he can do even better in the long run.
Though initially his salary may have been a hindrance for Liverpool, they must also be mindful that they have to start planning for life after Mohamed Salah sooner rather than later.
The Egyptian’s departure would free a significant portion of their transfer budget as well, indicating that the pressure of paying Williams a high wage will eventually alleviate.
A decision on his future in Bilbao will be due soon as the Euro 2024 reaches its end, and Liverpool, financially and sportingly, promises to be a more attractive destination for Williams than Chelsea.
