Liverpool continue to look for the best young talent and they seem to have found one hotshot of a striker. Inaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao is the player being targeted by Jurgen Klopp, according to reports from Don Balon.
The 22-year-old has steadily grown up the ranks at Bilbao and initially starred in their reserve side. Having scored 21 goals in 35 appearances in the Segunda Division, the Spaniard broke into the first team and has not looked back.
Williams has scored 16 goals in 67 games for the senior side and even made an appearance for the national side on May 29, 2016. The 22-year-old is one of the brightest strikers in Spain and he has caught the eye of another club as well.
Everton are reported to be in the running to sign Inaki as well and it will be interesting to see how both Merseyside clubs fight it out to sign him. Athletic have been smart in their dealings and ensured that Williams has a buy-out clause of €50 million.
They might ask him to sign another contract extension just to ensure the club gets as much money as possible for the youngster.
Signing the youngster does make sense for Klopp and company. After all, the club is known for making additions to the squad who are young and possess a lot of potential. Williams is still learning and will certainly get better under Klopp or Koeman.
A great option but is he worth the price tag?
While Inaki is one of the best youngsters in Spain, his price tag is a little off-putting. Liverpool and Everton have the money to buy big, but spending this amount of cash on an unknown quantity outside England is a bit of a risk.
Inaki though has a lot going for him. His versatility ensures that he can play out on the wings or down the middle. The Spaniard is extremely quick as well and has the strength to do well in the Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp has been using hard working players in his front three and Inaki would fit in perfectly here.
How would Williams fit in at Liverpool?
Signing Inaki would certainly close the doors on a few Liverpool strikers and the fear is certainly for the English stars. Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge are not first team players and Sturridge especially has been struggling to perform at the club this season.
Ings though has been relegated to the reserve side it seems. That decision does seem to be odd since Ings could be a player that thrives in this high pressing style of football. The Reds do have a lot of quality but they need to get better and Williams would certainly provide a lot of competition to Divock Origi as the other sharpshooter in the side.
The deal might not take place in the winter window but it could very easily take place next summer. The Reds are known for their smart deals in the summer and Williams could be coming in with Sturridge and Ings going out.