He’ll be better than Semenyo: Liverpool preparing bid to sign £83m winger

Liverpool fans have been locked in purgatory this season, Arne Slot’s side so far removed from their title-winning selves last season.

But we have seen some progress in recent weeks. Liverpool are unbeaten in four Premier League matches, and their 2-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League has tightened their foothold on ascension to the knockout phase.

And yet Slot’s side need to improve. The Reds have shown themselves to be tactically imbalanced this year, and with each loss, more confidence has been stripped away, leaving the Premier League champions denuded of their reputation as one of Europe’s most dangerous forces.

Slot deserves respect, and it’s clear that FSG are not ready to push the button and eject him from his seat. But something still needs to give, and with the January transfer window less than a fortnight away, sporting director Richard Hughes is weighing up a bid for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

Liverpool's plans to sign a winger

Liverpool want Semenyo this winter, but so, it seems, does the rest of the Premier League. His signature is red-hot, and while Liverpool stand as good a chance as anyone in the race, it would be negligible not to sound out alternatives.

There’s no question that Liverpool miss Luis Diaz, whose pace and directness in the final third now belong to Bayern Munich.

But Nico Williams shares with Semenyo and Colombian similar physical and athletic attributes, and Spanish sources believe FSG are preparing a €95m (equating to about £83m) offer.

The Spain international came close to joining Barcelona in the summer, but he remains with Athletic Bilbao, who are struggling for attacking fluidity in La Liga.

With Semenyo the top target, Liverpool may want to look at the wider picture, with Williams bearing the potential to become one of the very best in the world.

Why Liverpool want Nico Williams

When Spain won the 2021 European Championship, they did so with Williams taking centre-stage. Now 23, Williams was only announcing himself at the time, growing into his skin as one of Spain’s brightest talents.

He isn’t yet as refined as Semenyo, but the sky is truly the limit for this one. Williams’ blistering speed and ability on the ball have caused critics to marvel, gushing over qualities that some defenders simply don’t have answers for. In this, he is already “world-class”, as has been said by journalist Zach Lowy.

While Williams’ output has decreased for Bilbao, this year and last, this speaks of deeper offensive issues at the Basque club. They have scored 15 league goals all season, which means the Spanish winger has been directly involved in 40% of the goalmouth action.

25/26

13

3 + 3

24/25

29

5 + 5

23/24

31

5 + 13

22/23

34

0 + 0

21/22

2

0 + 0

Williams hasn’t been in the finest fettle this season, but he’s still one of the most dangerous and dynamic wingers in the game. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

Even so, it would be ridiculous to try to deny his quality and potential. Hailed as a “nightmare for defenders” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Williams matches Semenyo’s thrill factor, that fleet-footedness which differentiates him.

Semenyo, of course, is riding the crest of a wave in the Premier League. The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and supplied three assists in the division this season. The talk of the town, he boasts a formidable array of underlying metrics, winning 6.6 duels and averaging 1.6 tackles and dribbles per game in 2025/26, as per Sofascore.

But Williams is several years his junior, and he has already demonstrated a capacity to thrive and stand out on the biggest stages. Liverpool need a winger, and while Semenyo would provide instant results, Williams might just be worth the longer investment. He really is that good, and he’s only getting better.

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