Liverpool have SECRET advantage in talks to sign new full-back

Liverpool's defensive crisis is precarious to say the least so the club is desperately hoping for some positive news.

Andy Robertson has proven beyond all doubt that he alone is no longer capable of being Liverpool's left-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold seemingly has one foot on the plane to Real Madrid by all reports.

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So to put it bluntly, Liverpool need to sign two full-backs, a situation they haven't been in for almost a decade when Robertson joined the club in 2017 and when Trent was promoted from the academy that same year.

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Of course, Kostas Tsimikas is still available at left-back although if fans were to chosen to between the Scottish captain and the 'Greek Scouser', then Robertson might just come out on top.

Likewise, Conor Bradley will cover Trent at right back in the short-term, but whether he has what it takes to be Liverpool's long-term solution is still being debated. Nonetheless, a replacement is required.

Liverpool have engineered a discount on their next full-back signing

Countless different players have been linked with the club over the past few months ahead of a busy summer transfer window, be it qualified left-backs, qualified right-backs, players who can cover both roles, or players who can play as centre-backs alongside occupying the flanks.

However, the real problem with this situation is not a lack of players to choose from, but more the cost of buying new full-backs while remembering that a centre-back, a defensive midfielder and two forwards are also on the shopping list.

Trying to create a plan whereby Liverpool address all their issues while staying in budget is already proving a headache for me, never mind the club's recruitment team who have the task of pulling off such a feat.

However, Liverpool might just have a clever trick up their sleeve that could help land them a player at a discounted rate to their competitors - in part because he has already played for the Reds before.

The player in question is Neco Williams at Nottingham Forest, who has improved massively since he left Liverpool in January 2022.

The Welshman had grown up playing at the academy and spent almost 15 years on Merseyside before he was given an opportunity away from the club that he couldn't ignore.

Liverpool were not sufficiently impressed by him to take over from Alexander-Arnold and the player was not happy to remain as the soon-to-be Galactica's understudy.

Instead, Conor Bradley was brought forward from the academy in his place and neither party has really looked back since.

But over the past few years at Forest, Williams has developed well and become an integral asset in Nuno Espirito Santo's team, helping them to an expected top four finish in the Premier League this season, after the club finished 17th in the last campaign.

On the back of their success, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Williams has received lots of attention from different clubs, looking to sign him before his deal runs out in 2026, while Forest are working hard to extend the player's deal.

But what many might not know is that when Williams left the Reds, the club put a 10% sell-on clause in the agreement, which means the club will either earn a little cash from any move he might agree.

However, the clause might also be used to force an alternative chain of events, where Liverpool see the reliable full-back return to Anfield at a discounted rate, which would help ease the financial pressure on FSG.

Williams has proved across his career so far that he can make a perfectly competent left-back or right-back and that could be a priceless asset for Slot to have in his team, knowing that Liverpool don't have too many multi-faceted players and Joe Gomez might want to move away in the summer if he is approached.

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Of course, the ambitious move for the Reds would be to bring in someone new who is a specialist in their position and who fits the Slot mould, but for a team that is in a bit of a crisis ahead of the summer, Williams' situation presents a fascinating opportunity.

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