Gaizka Mendieta backs Nico Williams to succeed Mohamed Salah at Liverpool
Former Spain international Gaizka Mendieta feels Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams could be the ideal player to succeed Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield and there has been speculation over his future due to no ongoing discussions over fresh terms. The Egypt international, who was the subject of a mouthwatering £150m bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last summer, has returned from his holidays and joined his Liverpool teammates ahead of the upcoming pre-season tour.
While Liverpool have ruled out the possibility of cashing in on the 32-year-old this summer, it hasn’t stopped him from being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. Several players have been linked with a move to Liverpool amidst their hunt for a new winger, including Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
Nico Williams has established himself as one of the best young prospects in world football since breaking into the first-team squad at Athletic Club. The young winger’s stock has further risen following a phenomenal Euro 2024 campaign, where he scored in Spain’s 2-1 win over England in the grand finale in Berlin on Sunday.
With Salah’s contract expiring next summer, Gaizka Mendieta thinks Williams could be a fine successor for the Liverpool superstar.
“Nico Williams has the talent to replace Mohamed Salah at Liverpool. Although he’s very young, he’s dealt with a lot of pressure already, not only in Athletic Bilbao but also with the Spain national team,” Mendieta told OLBG (h/t Liverpool ECHO)
“He’s incredible 1v1. He can play on both wings, although on the left, I think he gives more to the team. He could play for Liverpool, the way they use wingers.
“Luckily for Athletic Bilbao, players from Bilbao love to play for this club and they play in Europe next year, so if someone wants to sign him they need to be prepared to pay.”
Liverpool have been interested in Williams, but transfer guru Fabrizio Romano thinks Barcelona have made the Spain international their summer’s No.1 transfer target. The Catalan club have saved a part of their budget to spend on the young winger, and now that the European Championships are done and dusted, they are looking to advance in negotiations with Athletic Bilbao.
The Reds are currently in the market for a new wide player, as evidenced by our interest in Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon. Arne Slot has two quality left-wingers in his squad in the form of Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz. On the opposite side, however, he only has Salah as an option, and with the Egyptian into his final 12 months of the contract and not getting any younger, the Merseyside outfit does need a new dynamic presence on the wide areas.
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Williams, who can play on either flank, as witnessed in Spanish colours at the 2024 Euro in Germany, could be just that player for Liverpool. But with Barcelona leading the race for his signature, we need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to lure the Bilbao man to the red half of the Merseyside. The Spaniard certainly has the tools to be a smashing addition for Liverpool.
