Liverpool have named Nico Williams’ successor as his contract with Athletic Club expires.Williams, 21, is one of Spanish football’s rising stars, scoring nine goals and six assists in 43 games in the 2022/23 season.
Reports in Spain last month suggested the Reds were one of the clubs who had “inquired” about Williams, who has a €50m release clause. There is a lot of interest in Williams. His current contract at Bilbao expires next summer and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have also been linked with Barcelona. Mundo Deportivo previously claimed the forward, whose brother Ignacy also plays for Athletic Club and was once linked with Liverpool, had received “amazing” offers from fans. Now, after 90 minutes, Liverpool will be one of a ‘quartet’ of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham and Villa. They will be interested in a move for Williams if he decides not to extend his contract.The report also claims that European powers Bayern Munich and Juventus are also monitoring the situation.
It has been reported that if Williams does not sign a new contract with Athletic, he can sign a pre-contract with any club outside Spain from January. But Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte insisted the Basque club should remain “calm” on renewing the star’s contract.He said: “We are calm. We want to recruit attractive players like Nico and Unai Gomes, who extended their contracts this week.”We think Nico will find this project attractive, and we think he will.” His family is loyal to athletics, and this is the highlight of his career. We have nothing to say about possible rumors. “If young Williams decides to seek a new challenge away from home, he could be Liverpool’s choice in a post-Mohammed Salah world next summer.
Even if the Egyptian leaves, even if the two are completely different strikers, Danny Corcoran Anfield Watch recently endorsed Williams as an attractive successor to Salah, writing: “The Pamplona striker is one-on-one, moves the ball forward and dribbles. “He ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive carries per 90 (5.9) and the 92nd percentile for successful shots per 90 (2.81) and does so with devastating speed and the ability to use both feet.
