One reported Liverpool transfer target has been implored to forget about possibly joining the Reds and remain with his current club instead.
This week, Spanish outlet AS reported of the Merseysiders’ interest in Nico Williams, but one of the 20-year-old’s Athletic Bilbao teammates has urged him to stay with the LaLiga outfit.
Gorka Guruzeta told AS (via El Desmarque): “Nico has many more chances to play in any club because we already know the level he has.”
The 26-year-old continued: “He is aware of what he has here and what may be [elsewhere] in every way – pressure, titles, salary… Each [player] has to see what he wants in his life. For me, I hope he continues [with Bilbao], because we can help [him] a lot with everything.”
Williams’ older brother Inaki is also at the club, and last year he said of his younger sibling (via Mundo Deportivo): “In one-on-ones, he is practically unstoppable…He is a talent, a rough diamond that needs to be polished.”
The statistics back up the former comment. As per FBref, the youngster ranks among the top 6% of wingers in Europe’s five main leagues for progressive carries (5.25 per game) and top 11% for successful take-ons (2.29 per game) over the past 12 months.
Both of those averages exceed every current player at Liverpool, with Ben Doak (3.33) and Luis Diaz (2.06) topping those respective metrics among Jurgen Klopp’s squad per 90 minutes (FBref).
Primarily a right winger but occasionally featuring on the other flank, Williams has seven goals and six assists from 33 appearances so far this season (Transfermarkt).
It’s a decent if unspectacular hit rate, but his superb dribbling ability could make him a hugely exciting player to watch.
Also, while Liverpool have an abundance of forwards, Mo Salah is the only natural right winger, so Williams could add much-needed depth in that position if he were to ignore Guruzeta’s plea and come to Anfield.