Athletic Bilbao star Inaki Williams has explained how he turned down the chance to join Liverpool.
Williams has been at Bilbao for the entirety of his professional career, scoring 77 goals in 346 appearances. However, despite this the player has been frequently linked with a move away from the La Liga club.
The summer of 2019 saw Liverpool reportedly show an interest in bringing Williams to Anfield. There were reports that an offer worth €88million (£78m) could be made by Liverpool, but no deal was ever completed.
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Now in a fresh interview, Williams has revealed that he did have the option to leave Bilbao for Liverpool three years ago. The 28-year-old has explained why he turned down the chance to move to Anfield, along with other potential clubs over the course of his career.
“I had an option to leave,” Williams told AS , when asked how close he came to signing for Liverpool in 2019.
“There were contacts in which I kept my position clear. It’s nice that clubs like this try to get you, but I was always clear that I want to be at Athletic.”
That summer saw Liverpool not sign any first-team players with the exception of Adrian on a free transfer. Teenager Harvey Elliott also arrived from Fulham, as the Reds went on to win the Premier League title that season.
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