Liverpool transfer stance on Nico Williams emerges amid Luis Diaz plan

Liverpool could sign another forward as transfer plans take shape behind the scenes during Arne Slot's first summer. But there are inevitably going to be even more options linked with moves than usual because of Euro 2024 and the Copa America.

The Reds' recruitment team would like to add more quality to the Liverpool roster but Slot is yet to work properly with any of his existing squad because of the international tournaments that are currently underway. And the increased presence of several stars who are not always in the limelight always leads to even more transfer speculation than normal.

Spain winger Nico Williams, who has impressed so far at the European Championship in Germany, has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool. However, The Athletic reports that the 21-year-old is not someone who is currently on the Reds' radar.

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Williams is on a substantial contract at Athletic Bilbao so while his release clause of around $59m (£47m/€55m) is relatively modest for a breakout star at a major international tournament, it would not be a cheap deal for anyone to pull off. Liverpool has utilized release clauses in the past but Alexis Mac Allister's was particularly low last summer and his salary much more modest.

In any case, Williams plays almost exclusively from the left-hand side. As it stands, Liverpool already has Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez as senior forward options who can also play in that role.

While there is interest in Diaz from Barcelona, it remains to be seen whether the Catalan side can put together a package that would even be remotely tempting to Liverpool. The Telegraph has previously suggested it would take a bid of more than $95m (£75m/€89m) for the Reds to be keen on cashing in and as things stand, Liverpool plans to keep him.

PSG has also been credited with an interest in Diaz but the player's father has spoken about wanting to see his son play in Spain. For now, at least, Diaz is with Colombia for the Copa America in the US, where his side opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Paraguay in Texas.

Liverpool.com says: Selling Diaz for a huge fee should not be completely ruled out given his age but it would be a big job to replace the Colombian with such a tight turnaround between the end of his international duties and the start of the new season. It seems likelier that he would stick around and be a part of the squad next season, though things can change quickly in soccer.