Liverpool interested in highly-rated 21-year-old La Liga starlet with a bloated £75m release clause

Liverpool are one of the clubs monitoring Villareal winger Samuel Chukwueze

According to a report from the Spanish outlet La Razon cited by Caught Offside (h/t Mirror), Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Villareal winger Samuel Chukwueze.

The 21-year-old Nigerian has a £75million release clause and Liverpool tried to sign the winger in January, according to a report by Football Espana (h/t Mirror) earlier this year in the January transfer window.

Chukwueze has netted 13 goals in 90 matches for Villareal and has provided 12 assists during that time. A goal or an assist every 211 minutes isn’t bad for a youngster playing in Spain’s top division.

Our front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah was supplemented well this year after Klopp signed Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino. Xherdan Shaqiri does get minutes, but Klopp has been using him as an attacking midfielder rather than as a winger.

Mane and Salah both turn 29 next year. Keeping this in mind, signing a youngster like Chukwueze within the next year can benefit the club in various ways.

Klopp can rotate the front three more flexibly and the Nigerian would get to learn a lot by playing alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in their prime. Moreover, the winger can be a great option off the bench late in games.

While Diogo Jota can play anywhere across the frontline, he is more accustomed to roles down the left flank, as made apparent by his heatmap this season.

Chukwueze’s heatmap in La Liga last season shows he is a proper touchline hugger down the right-hand side and can slot-in directly whenever Salah needs rest, or may even challenge the Egyptian for the spot in the long run.

So with us reportedly interested in Chukwueze, the decision to sign can be a great long-term move. The only visible hurdle can be the bloated release clause of £75million that may put off clubs interested in the winger due to the financial repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.