£69m deal in reach for explosive forward

Big changes are coming to Liverpool’s frontline this summer.

Mohamed Salah will be leaving the club after an agreement was reached to rip up his £400k per week contract a year early.

Federico Chiesa meanwhile has been tipped to join the Egyptian King on the exit ramp with teams in Serie A reportedly interested.

On the opposite side of the attack Arne Slot has been curiously reluctant to use Rio Ngumoha and an upgrade could well be sourced for Cody Gakpo.

We’ve seen the likes of Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande mentioned as potential targets while in recent days the noise has grown in Spain around Abde Ezzalzouli of Real Betis.

But Richard Hughes may well take the option of moving for a previous LaLiga target in the shape of Nico Williams.

£69m for Nico Williams

That’s according to a new report in Fichajes which claims an €80m (£69m) deal is in reach for the Premier League champions.

“Nico Williams has become one of Liverpool's top targets to bolster their attack for next season,” the report reads.

“The Athletic Bilbao winger is on their radar.

“Liverpool believe Nico Williams possesses the ideal qualities to lead their new attacking project.

“The figures being discussed are around €80 million. Liverpool would be willing to make that investment to secure the signing of Nico Williams.”

Nico Williams: Situation summary

Nico Williams is a 23-year-old Spain winger thriving for Athletic Club off either flank, but increasingly from the left where his extreme directness and 1v1 threat stretch back lines and open interior spaces.

He ranks among La Liga’s most aggressive dribblers and chance creators, living on isolation, double-movements and whipped cut-backs rather than pure goalscoring volume.

End product has improved year on year, but he still projects more as a high-usage chance generator than a 20-goal wide forward.

The real story now is his contract. In July 2025 he signed a landmark ten-year deal running to 2035, turning down intense Barcelona pressure and locking in a huge pay rise.

That agreement reportedly includes a release clause pushed up towards the €90–100m band, effectively re-pricing him into Champions League-wage, superstar-fee territory.

Functionally, it’s a power contract: Athletic protect their crown jewel and any buyer must pay “face of the project” money rather than opportunistic winger pricing.

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