Liverpool’s reported interest in Athletic Bilbao attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet is one of the most interesting and exciting links that have emerged from the Spanish press recently.
Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak have been heavily linked with a move to Anfield and rightly so. The Eintracht Frankfurt and Newcastle United forwards have 30 goals and assists apiece this season and would greatly increase the attacking impetus already available to Arne Slot.
Slot is also keen on signing attacking reinforcement for his midfield that while bursting with talent, doesn’t possess an elite-level playmaker.
While Sancet is not at that level either, he is on the cusp of becoming one.
Spurs and Aston Villa are interested but Liverpool “have also entered the fray forcefully”
Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing Athletic Bilbao star Oihan Sancet, according to Spanish news outlet Fichaes. They claim that Liverpool would be the perfect next step for the 24-year-old given their track record of elevating young stars.
The report states that “Spurs want to add Sancet to a midfield that already features James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur“. Meanwhile, Villa believe they have a fair chance of signing Sancet themselves based on their performance under “Monchi and Unai Emery’s leadership.
They have reportedly “not wasted time and closely monitored Sancet’s progress. The club’s presence in the Champions League provides them with solid arguments to compete for his signing.”
Liverpool have “forcefully entered the fray”
Regarding Liverpool, the Reds have been aware of his progress but have reportedly “forcefully entered the fray.” While that certainly sounds exciting, it’s pretty unclear what that means.
The report says: “Liverpool, always attentive to young talent with potential, has also entered the fray forcefully. Their track record in developing technically skilled players and their guaranteed participation in the upcoming edition of the Champions League make Anfield an attractive option for any player aspiring to establish themselves in the elite.”
If these claims are accurate, Liverpool would be signing a potentially world-class attacking talent
There are so many reasons to like Sancet.
He’s 1.89m (6ft2) tall.
For another thing, he has 16 goals and three assists in 29 games this season.
Considering only one of those games was played as a centre-forward and the rest as an attacking midfielder, it’s impressive. Liverpool could use a high goal-scoring player from midfield to aid the attack Slot is building.
But the way he scores goals is just as good as the number of them he gets. He has a level of finesse and flair to his technique that makes me want to see him at Anfield. The official Bilbao website describes him as an “intelligent” player which is a prerequisite for the kind of players Liverpool need this summer.
Sancet is under contract until 2032, however, and with no mention of a potential transfer fee in the report, Bilbao will be very difficult to negotiate with.
