You may not have heard of Athletic Bilbao’s wide forward Inaki Williams unless you are a keen follower of FIFA 16 career mode where he has become something of a cult hero. But, Williams is far more than a talented video game character; the young Spaniard has risen to prominence following an impressive highlight reel this season for the Basque club.

At just 21, signing Williams would be another future investment from Klopp and Liverpool but this season Williams powerful and efficient play has suggested he would be ready to break into the first team instantly.

With Klopp believed to be keen on bringing in the dynamic wide man to add more explosive impact to his teams’ attack; a transfer is looking ever more likely.  He would certainly fit into ‘The Normal One’s’ ethos of working hard and high pressing for 90 minutes of a game and has become adapted to such a play style having been coached under the Bielsa era at Bilbao. Rumoured competition from Arsenal could prove a stumbling block but any deal does appear to be at Liverpool’s fingertips.

Inaki Williams is more of an inside forward than an out and out winger and therefore he does need to refine areas such as his crossing and final delivery. However, his six goals this season are proof of his ability as a competent finisher and his raw physicality means the pace of the Premier League should not come as a complete culture shock. Basque footballing culture has always produced talented footballers who are confident on and off the ball; William’s fits such a mould and is quickly being touted alongside Iker Munain and Aymeric Laporte as the Basque’s cream of the crop from the latest generation of footballers from the region.

High praise for a player so young and inexperienced and that could be an argument against Williams’ joining the Reds. Argument’s from the Kop fan base suggest that a 20 goal a season striker and more experience defensively would be top priorities. Williams has the potential to be a very special and talented player but recently young wingers with similar reputations have joined Premier League teams and wilted under the pressure, see Lazar Markovic and Florian Thauvin. Williams may not necessarily follow this trend but for him to succeed in England he would require a stable environment to nurture his talents.

With a rumoured £15million release clause it is obvious to see why the Premier League giants are circuling the young winger and his pace and power and direct style could prove very effective in the Premier League. However, it does have to be questioned whether Anfield would be the right landing place for him; especially with it being littered with problems and holes in other areas. If Liverpool were to sign Williams, they would be signing a great future prospect who could become a valuable member of their squad instantly and ticket holders at Anfield would have yet another exciting talent alongside Firmino and Coutinho.

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