Liverpool Transfer News: Inaki Williams Blow, Latest Rumours on Lorenzo Insigne

Inaki Williams has rubbished rumours he could be set to leave Athletic Club for Liverpool, while the agent of Lorenzo Insigne is said to be preparing talks with the Reds over the Napoli man.

As reported by the Daily Star's Thomas McIlroy, Liverpool have been heavily linked with Williams of late, with some reports suggesting manager Jurgen Klopp is willing to trigger his £45 million buy-out clause.

During a recent interview with AS (h/t McIlroy), the 22-year-old told Klopp not to bother:

"

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm where i want to be.

I'm very happy where I am and I am very grateful to Athletic, to the fans, the club and my team-mates for their support.

The truth is I'm very happy here and I want to stay here for many years.

I want to be the one who makes the crowd at the San Mames go wild by scoring loads of goals.

"

Williams made his debut for the Basques in 2014 and quickly established himself as one of their key players in attack. He and Aymeric Laporte are widely regarded as their two top prospects, and both have been given an opportunity to impress early.

The winger mainly stands out for his impressive athleticism and blazing speed―two traits Klopp would appreciate in his fast-paced system. He's at his best when he gets to cut inside from a wide role but tends to drift all over the pitch.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Williams is a tremendous prospect, and it's no surprise to see him linked with a top Premier League club. An imminent move seems highly unlikely, however.

Bilbao still have their infamous Cantera policy, which means only Basque players―or players with some Basque heritage―are eligible to play for the club. Negotiating with Athletic is never easy, and the club does a fantastic job of keeping hold of their talents.

Laporte has been talked about as a potential transfer target for clubs for years, and he's still plying his trade with Athletic. No matter how much money clubs throw at his or Bilbao's feet, he's never been willing to leave the Basque country and has remained loyal to the club.

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A similar scenario seems in store for Williams, who has yet to give any indication he's thinking of a move. The speedster is only just scratching the surface of his potential, and for now he's expected to stay with his current club and continue his development.

One hometown hero who is reportedly close to leaving his boyhood club is Napoli star Insigne. According to the Daily Star Sunday (h/t Daily Mirror's Aaron Flannagan), contract negotiations with the Partenopei have hit a stumbling block, and his agent now hopes to start talks with Liverpool regarding a potential transfer.

Per the report, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis isn't willing to pay Insigne the £100,000 weekly wages he demands. Such wages would be more than manageable for the Reds.

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The 25-year-old Insigne was born and raised in Naples and is a local hero to the Napoli fans. He's been linked with a Premier League move for years, but has always pledged his allegiance to the Partenopei.

The relationship has taken a bit of a hit in the 2016-17 season, however, highlighted by this incident during the 3-2 loss against Besiktas in the UEFA Champions League, via Calciomercato(En):

The versatile forward scored 12 goals and added 10 assists last season, per WhoScored.com, but he has failed to hit the same heights since Napoli sold Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus.

His agent could be looking for a way out for his client, but it's just as possible he's hoping to use the threat of a different club as leverage against Napoli in the ongoing contract negotiations.