Liverpool ready huge bid to sign their answer to Bellingham

Liverpool are flying at the moment, sat nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and first in the gigantic Champions League table too, having won 18 of 20 fixtures since Arne Slot’s arrival.

Not so long ago, the accusation was that the Reds hadn’t played anyone good yet, but that certainly is not the case anymore, following resounding victories over both serial European champions Real Madrid and then four-in-a-row Premier League champions Manchester City on Merseyside in the space of five days.

However, if there is one potential area of improvement within this team, it could certainly be argued that they’ll need more goals from midfield.

​​​​Dominik Szoboszlai has scored only twice in all competitions so far this season, the strike against Southampton his first in the Premier League since January, on target just seven times during the previous campaign too.

In the meantime, Curtis Jones’ winner when Chelsea visited Anfield was also his first since January, while the other regulars in this position Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have only nine and four goals for the Reds to their respective names since the pair both arrived in the summer of 2023.

The form of Liverpool’s forwards, Mohamed Salah in particular, but also the supporting cast members, means this currently is not an issue, but could the Reds dip into the transfer market to add a different dimension to Slot’s squad?

Liverpool could sign goalscoring midfielder

According to a report by one Spanish-based outlet, Liverpool are preparing an €80m bid (around £66m) for Athletic Club Bilbao midfielder Oihan Sancet.

They describe the 24-year-old as “versatile” and “tactically-intelligent”, claiming he would bring “dynamism and quality” to Liverpool’s midfield. However, this certainly will not be an easy deal to finalise.

Sancet’s reported release clause of €80m would almost certainly have to be met if Liverpool are to secure his services.

In the past, Athletic Club have been excellent at getting high transfer fees for their most prized assets, most notably of all Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £72m move to Chelsea in 2018, which remains a world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper.

This is largely due to the fact Athletic operate with their unique Basque-only player policy.

In practical terms, this means Athletic players are always amongst La Liga’s top-earners, considering the clubs rarely pay transfer fees, but also they always do everything in their power to keep hold of key figures, given the limited pool from which they can replace them.

As an aside, this is also an especially important season for the Lions, considering the Europa League Final will take place at their home stadium San Mamés next May.

This was often sighted as a key reason why Nico Williams chose to stay at the club last summer, despite firm interest from Barcelona, thereby precluding any move for Sancet in January.

So, why is he so in demand?

What would Oihan Sancet bring to Liverpool?

Sancet joined Athletic Club Bilbao as a 15-year-old, making his senior debut four years later on the opening day of the 2019/20 season, coming off the bench as the Lions enjoyed a famous, last-gasp home win over Barcelona at San Mamés.

In all, he’s now made 172 appearances for Athletic, establishing himself as a key figure in the last 12 months or so.

Having scored just six goals throughout the entirety of last season, the midfielder has taken his game to new heights in this campaign, on target eight times already from 15 outings.

He was the only scorer during last month’s el Derbi Vasco, as Athletic beat local rivals Real Sociedad, rising highest to nod home Nico Williams’ cross, before bagging a brace as his side fought back from a goal down to defeat Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas on Sunday.

This form has so far gone unnoticed by Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, with Sancet’s sole international call-up of 2024 coming all the way back in March, but it’s surely only a matter of time until he’s representing the reigning European champions again.

As outlined by FBref, he ranks highly for non-penalty goals, progressive carries and pass completion %, but also for aerial duals won too, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe, suggesting he would be able to adapt to the more physical style of English football.

That profile of player, someone who’s tall and capable of scoring goals could see comparisons drawn to another LaLiga sensation in the form of the league’s most high-profile midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Sancet has actually scored three more goals this season, while ranking higher for xG and npxG, emphasising that he’s been a substantial goal threat during this campaign. On that evidence, it really is no surprise that some in the industry, including journalist Josh Bunting, have described him as a “beautiful talent”.

The pair are comparable when it comes to pass completion % as well as shot-creating actions per 90 with their figures in that category near-identical. Bellingham is on another level in terms of tackles and blocks, suggesting Sancet still has a little way to go out of possession if he’s to fit into a Slot side.