Who is Neiser Villarreal? The Colombian star Liverpool are ready to sign

Neiser Villarreal has caught the attention of Liverpool and the Reds could make a move for him but just who is the young Colombian star?

Liverpool Transfer Latest: Reds ready offer as star says he's STAYING

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that the Reds are keeping tabs on the contract situation of Villarreal and have made an approach to try to sign the forward.

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool ready to strike deal with Colombian contract rebel

Villarreal has a contract at Millonarios in Colombia's top flight in that expires in November 2025 and he is yet to sign a new deal. So far Villarreal has rejected his boyhood club's attempts to tie him down to a new deal.

This means he is available to negotiate a free contract agreement upon the expiry of his contract with club's from abroad when he enters the last six months of his deal.

Equally, prospective clubs can now agree a cut-price transfer fee ahead of the summer transfer window to land one of the biggest talents in South American football right now.

Who is Neiser Villarreal?

Born in 2005, the young Colombian forward stands at 1.86 metres and he is a bit of a late comer to the scene.

Unlike other South American wonderkids who have racked up a lot of minutes at senior level, Villarreal has just 11 first team appearances for Millonarios despite turning 20 years old in April this year.

He's only recently broken into the Colombian youth national team set-up as well, making his debut at U20 level rather than in the younger age-groups.

Yet despite this, he is the most intriguing talent, having set the world alight at the U20 Sudamericana, where Anfield Watch revealed exclusively Liverpool had a strong presence of scouts observing the tournament.

Villarreal ended up top-scoring the tournament with eight goals in nine matches, he also registered four assists and led his team to third place - which has now secured a place for his team at the U20 World Cup taking place in Chile later this year.

Overall, he has 10 goals and six assists in 14 Colombia U20 appearances.

At first team level, he is yet to score for Millonarios but he has only played a total of 201 minutes, and in that time he has still managed to register an assist against Envigado during a 3-0 victory back in September of last year.

At first team level, he has been deployed on the wing coming on as a late substitute in most games, but he's still been able to make a huge impact.

In his limited time spent on the pitch, Villarreal made 29 dribbles, averaging 12.79 per 90 minutes. Taking on players with tired legs, Villarreal mostly used his speed to beat his opponents and average an impressive 62.1% success rate.

He also showed his threat in front of goal, with his total xG and xA combined at first team level being 1.18. Not bad for a player coming on in the last ten minutes of the game.

Understandably, as his contract situation has rumbled on he hasn't been given a lot of opportunities by the club. He's been playing in the academy teams instead in the lower levels of Colombia.

In terms of his profile, Villarreal is an instinctive finisher. He's got a nice range and knows how to create space and capitalise on opportunities inside the box.

He can also generate a lot of power, not just precision, in his shots and he showcased that at the tournament with a long-range belter from outside the box.

In total, at the U20 Sudamericana Villarreal averaged 2.82 shots per 90 and managed to get 54.5% of his shots on target which is a very healthy return for a striker.

He's shown his work-rate as well, notably against Uruguay tracking back to win possession for his teammates and register an assist.

In every sense of the word, Villarreal is a complete forward, he can score goals but create chances for his teammates too.

READ MORE: Hugo Ekitike's agent drops massive hint about €80m Liverpool move

That fluidity makes him an alluring prospect for Liverpool and it is why the Reds are ready to strike an opportunistic deal.

Liverpool FC news recap: Reds celebrate as Slot confirms star is BACK