According to reports from Spain, Liverpool are among several English clubs vying to sign a prolific LaLiga midfielder.
With the start of the summer transfer window now just a month-and-a-half away, the Anfield hierarchy will no doubt have the wheels in motion behind the scenes on various recruitment possibilities for Arne Slot’s squad for next season.
The Reds’ defence could be in for an extensive shake-up if some sources are to be believed, and Richard Hughes is also keeping tabs on options for other areas of the pitch.
Liverpool in transfer race for Oihan Sancet
Spanish outlet Fichajes has claimed that Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are all vying to sign Oihan Sancet, who’s been excelling for Athletic Bilbao this season.
The report states that the Premier League leaders have ‘entered the fray with a vengeance’ for the attacking midfielder, who it’s fair to say won’t be leaving San Mames on the cheap.
He has a release clause of €80m (£68.5m) in his contract, which runs all the way to 2032, and the LaLiga club’s hierarchy have no intention of accepting anything lower for a player they consider to be ‘irreplaceable’.
Sancet would add a true goal threat from midfield for Liverpool
Although Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have chipped in with 13 goals between them from midfield this season, Sancet has been on a different level in that regard.
The 24-year-old has netted 16 times for Athletic Bilbao in the current campaign, a tally surpassed only by Mo Salah at Liverpool, and the Spaniard actually has an even better scoring rate than the Reds winger. It should also be noted that just three of those have bee penalties.
Sancet’s goal haul (almost entirely from the number 10 position) has been accumulated in 1,782 minutes (one every 111.4 minutes). The Egyptian has twice as many goals, but having racked up 3,961 minutes on the pitch (one every 123.8 minutes), even his average is surpassed by the LaLiga maestro.
FBref cites Phil Foden as a stylistically similar player to Athletic’s number 8, who aside from his obvious threat in the final third is also excellent in terms of ball retention, with his 82.3% pass completion rate placing him among the top 14% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year.
The Spanish gem could certainly be a marvellous addition at Anfield if Liverpool were to sign him, but FSG will be acutely aware that his current club would take some convincing if they’re to part with him this summer.
