Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Liverpool ace Neco Williams.
The Reds are still hopeful of signing Djed Spence on a permanent deal after his impressive loan season with Forest last term, but Steve Cooper's recruitment staff are covering all bases by identifying possible alternatives.
One such possible option is Williams, 21, who spent last season on-loan with Championship title winners Fulham.
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Striking a deal for Middlesbrough's Djed Spence appears to be moving slightly further away after reports today (June 10) claimed Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £20m fee for the wing-back; Forest fans remain hopeful of securing the talented England international's services, however, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano contradicting the earlier claim by saying Spurs have a strong interest but have yet to complete a deal.
According to 90min, though, Cooper's recruitment staff have identified Williams as an alternative option to pursue in case they fail to sign Spence. The 21-year-old right-back is contracted to Liverpool until 2025 but spent the second half of last season on-loan with Fulham as they claimed the Championship title.
Williams, who partners Brennan Johnson in the Wales national squad, spoke earlier in the year about his intentions to return to Liverpool in the summer for pre-season as well as a willingness to head out on loan again in pursuit of regular playing opportunities.
“Right now, I just want to play football week in and week out,” Williams said. “I want to play as much as possible and gain as much experience as possible, and so far it has definitely helped me. I’ve improved as a player and getting promoted is a nice one to put on the CV. It’s been a great loan, but I’ll be going back to Liverpool in the summer, feeling like a more mature player and definitely an improved player.
"I’ve won the Prem and hopefully I can go on to win the Championship now. I have gained a lot of experience in a short amount of time. I've gone from starting a Champions League game against AC Milan and beating them 2-1 to playing Barnsley. So I have gained quite a lot of valuable and varied experience at such a young age.
"I want to be a Premier League player. For me, I think it's the best and the toughest league in the world. And you always want to be playing against the best players in the world, you always want to play in the best league in the world. For me, that's the Premier League and that's what I want to do with my career just to play as many games as possible in the Premier League."
Nottingham Forest have also identified Manchester City youngster Issa Kabore as a possible alternative to Spence.
