Liverpool are reportedly prepared to meet the €50 million release clause in the contract of Athletic Bilbao superstar Inaki Williams in the summer.
Liverpool Echo are reporting that Liverpool are ready to step up their interest in Athletic Bilbao superstar Inaki Williams. The winger has hinted at his desire to leave in the summer and the Reds have emerged as one of the front-runners to snap up the Spaniard.
Inaki Williams is one of the rare Bilbao-born players present at San Mames and is revered by the fans, as is the case with every local player to make the grade at Athletic Bilbao. And his performances for the club have captured the imagination of not only the local fans but also several clubs in Europe.
This season, his return of 4 goals and 7 assists in 30 games are decent but it is his directness, pace and ability to scare the opposition with his mazy runs that is a part of the bigger picture at San Mames. He has been repeatedly linked with a move to Liverpool and recently opened up about the speculation.
He said to Sportium, as quoted by Liverpool Echo, “Lots of things are coming out in the news but I am calm. If [Liverpool] are looking at me it’s because I’m doing things well. I’m very lucky. If tomorrow I had to leave I would always be very honest with Athletic.”
“They’ve given me everything. The first I would do is speak to the president [if I wanted to leave.]”
Also, as per the Calciomercato article, Inaki had iterated, “I’m happy in Bilbao but if a concrete offer comes in from elsewhere then I’m happy to sit round the table and discuss my options with my agent and the club.”
Inaki Williams is surely an exciting talent and Liverpool would love to add a player of Inaki’s talent to their ranks at Anfield, especially with doubts over Coutinho’s future and a lack of overall depth in the squad.
The player’s contract does have a €50 million release clause (figure as per the Calciomercato report), an amount Liverpool have not shelved out in the recent years. But their recent captures of Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum have shown an intent to dole out the riches for the right player.
And the same could be the case in the summer with respect to Inaki. Bilbao are known to be very tough negotiators and do not like to negotiate below the release clauses, especially when it comes to a local academy graduate. So, we could see the Reds break the bank for the exciting 22-year-old as Anfield undergoes the Klopp revolution.
