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Earlier this summer, Liverpool FC right-back Neco Williams was linked with a host of suitors, including Wolves, Southampton, and Leeds. Multiple reports had suggested that Liverpool was looking at a fee of around £10 million for the Welsh youngster. Williams had found first-team opportunities hard to come by last season and was reportedly looking to move on in search of more playing time. Word on the interwebs was also that 18-year-old Conor Bradley would step up into the backup right-back role should Williams have departed.
However, a tidbit in a new Athletic article mentions that Williams is now set to stay in the squad this season, after impressing the coaching staff in his minutes in the preseason. I don’t really recall a standout performance from Neco during these last few games but he seemed steady and dependable. And that’s all we can really ask from a backup to Trent, really.
Perhaps, there are other reasons for this, such as the market not really having rebounded fully from COVID-19, and Liverpool not really getting the full sums they’re asking for players they’re willing to let go. Or, maybe there wasn’t enough time for Bradley to be groomed into that deputy spot. Whatever it is, we know that it’ll be another long campaign fighting on four fronts, and we’ll need as many of these dependable, level-headed players all season long, so Neco staying isn’t the worst thing in the world.