Liverpool could realistically seek to take in between £25m and £30m if they decide to sell Harry Wilson in the summer, according to one of the club’s former academy coaches.
Michael Beale, previously the Reds’ under-16s manager and now a first team coach under Steven Gerrard at Rangers (as per The Athletic), feels that the on-loan 23-year-old could still have a future at Anfield but would merit a substantial fee if his parent club decided to move him on permanently.
Speaking about Bournemouth loanee Wilson on The Athletic‘s Red Agenda podcast, he said: “I do think he’s a player who would excel in a team who are dominating the ball and playing in a really technical way. That could be at Liverpool. If it isn’t, then I’d suggest he’s worth about £25 million to £30 million, which gives you in an idea of how well he’s doing and how hard it is to break into Liverpool’s team.”
Beale is right to suggest that Wilson should only be let go for a significant fee, considering how readily he has taken to his first season at Premier League level in 2019/20. The Welsh winger has scored six goals in 23 top-flight appearances for Bournemouth, who are the fifth-lowest scorers in the league with just 29 goals so far. Even in a team struggling for goals and languishing in the relegation zone, the 23-year-old has still managed to find the target with regularity, although his last goal came four months ago.
If a fee of £25m-£30m may seem excessive for a player who only has half a season’s worth of Premier League starts to his name, it is worth looking at that valuation in the context of other deals for top-flight forwards. Wilson’s current Cherries team-mate Dominic Solanke was sold by Liverpool to Eddie Howe’s team for £19m (as per BBC) in January 2019 after scoring just once in 27 Reds appearances. His strike rate at the Vitality Stadium has been even worse, with one goal in 38 games, and his 55 Premier League outings have yielded a solitary goal.
Last summer, Liverpool recouped £20m (as per The Telegraph) from the sale of Danny Ings to Southampton after the injury-plagued striker, on loan at the Saints the previous season, managed only four goals in 25 games for the Anfield club. Unlike Solanke, though, the 27-year-old has thrived on the south coast, with his tally of 15 Premier League goals this season only one fewer than Liverpool’s leading marksman Mohamed Salah but one more than Sadio Mane (as per premierleague.com).
Ings’ fortunes in recent months highlight the dangers associated with cashing in on a potentially lethal finisher but also back Beale’s assertion that Wilson could land Liverpool at least £25m if they part ways with him, with the Welshman enjoying a solid season for Bournemouth. If Solanke could command £19m despite his poor scoring record at Premier League level, the Reds should definitely hold out for a minimum £25m if they elect to jettison Wilson – which, in itself, could be an overly hasty decision.
Liverpool fans, do you agree with Beale’s valuation of Wilson? Should the Reds look to sell or keep him in the summer? Comment below with your views!
