Is Nico Williams Barcelona’s BIGGEST transfer since Neymar?

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Papa Pincus is back with another episode of Let's Talk Transfers and this week it's FULL of the biggest names! Nico Williams has agreed a deal to join Barcelona, Liverpool's summer of transfers continues with Milos Kerkez and could we be seeing Messi, Neymar and Suarez reunite at Inter Miami?

Transcript

00:00Barcelona are preparing something massive. Liverpool can't be stopped and could we have

00:05one of the most ridiculous rumours of all time? Papa Pink is here with 442. Let's talk transfers.

00:14Before we go on to the rumour madness, let's start with something a little bit more concrete.

00:19A transfer flirtation dragging on longer than a Stuart Atwell VAR check. It looks as though

00:24Barcelona might finally seal the deal. After months, years really, of whispers, meetings

00:31and sideline glances from Catalonia, a new star could be heading to the Camp Nou.

00:37It's no secret Barcelona are actively seeking a high-profile left winger. We know they're in

00:41talk to Luis Diaz's camp, but it's obvious who their number one choice is and that is none other

00:46than Nico Williams. Explosive, fearless and proven, Williams has gone from an exciting talent

00:53to a must-have superstar in the span of two seasons. At just 22, he's already one of Spain

00:59and the Liga's poster boys. He creates chances for fun, pins full-backs deep, opens space for

01:05everyone around him. But he's not perfect. Not yet anyway. End product is his kryptonite and with

01:12the amount of chances he creates for himself, he has to strengthen his finishing. Five goals in 29

01:18appearances, not exactly elite winger numbers, and he knows it. Rafinha was an absolute joke last

01:24season. I mean, the guy's getting Ballon d'Or shouts for God's sake. It does, however, look like

01:29Flick wants to move him into that number 10 role, which is why they want to cement that left wing spot

01:34with someone of Diaz or Williams' calibre. As widely reported, Barca have activated his 58 million

01:40euro release clause, but the deal is only just getting started. They need to get on side with

01:45his agents, discuss wages. I do think they'll get it done, and Barca will at last have their man.

01:51But based on the player profile they're seemingly after, direct, unpredictable, aggressive in the

01:57final third, this might be a bit rogue, but part of me thinks they should be looking at someone like

02:02Ademola Lukman. Lukman thrives in transition. Under Gasparini, he's been weaponised as a vertical

02:09outlet. The moment possession turns over, he's gone. And with Flick favouring high pressing,

02:15Barca attacking transitions, Lukman's ability to attack space directly, without needing build-up,

02:21suits their plan to a tee. He'd come cheaper, less pressure, more value, and potentially just as high

02:28ceiling as Williams, if managed right. If Barca are being smart about squad building, especially in this

02:34financial climate, Lukman deserves to be on their radar.

02:38Pivoting to Merseyside, Liverpool are going for it. Slott is building a super team.

02:45While the headlines are still buzzing around the silky statement signing of Florian Verts,

02:49it's time to focus on something far less glamorous, but just as important, the left back position.

02:55Let's be clear, Andy Robertson is a Liverpool legend. One of the greatest full backs in the club's

03:01history. Champions League winner, title winner, Mr. Consistent, relentless in his prime. He defined an

03:08era. But last season, it was hard to ignore the fact his legs weren't the same. The bursts,

03:13the overlaps, the recovery runs, they faded big time. He's still got the heart, but the body isn't

03:19keeping up. And while he was winding down, another name was rising fast. Milos Kerkhez.

03:25I think this is one of the signings of the summer. I cannot believe how quick and easy Liverpool are

03:31making these deals happen. Kerkhez is such a big signing. He ticks every single box. Slott wants his

03:38team to win the ball high, counter with speed. Full backs are so key in maintaining that press.

03:44Kerkhez is naturally aggressive without the ball and loves pushing up early. Mind you, his delivery ain't

03:50half bad either. My one concern would be slot build-up can be quite delicate, especially when

03:56playing out from the back. And Kerkhez is a little bit loose with the first touch from time to time.

04:01That's an area he'll need to prioritise tightening up. Need that fluidity. He doesn't want to be the

04:08bloke everyone has their heart and their mouths when the ball's rolling to him. So where does that leave

04:12Robbo? Well, the streets are saying he could be on the move to sunny Spain. Heavy interest coming in

04:18from Atletico Madrid. Give me 90 minutes of Robbo shithousery. Running through brick walls for

04:24Simeone. Give me flying tackles, over-hit crosses. Sir Andy Robertson under Simeone's regime. Inject it

04:32into my veins. The passion, the chaos. In all seriousness, that's the perfect late career move. Siege

04:39mentality Robbo being let off the leash to chase wingers down the touchline like it's 2019 again. No need

04:45to invert, no fancy build-up, just pure intensity, vertical runs and absolute grit. Diego, make it

04:54happen. And now to the rumours that might just take us back to when life was better, when the sun was

05:00always shining, the boots were brighter, the smiles were bigger and football felt like magic. To quote,

05:07this week we're going to Miami to talk to clubs. We have to listen to them and decide what we're going to

05:12do. That was said by Neymar Sr. Yes, Neymar's old man. The holy reunion. Messi, Neymar, Suarez,

05:21Busquets, Alba, the greatest front three of a generation. Reunited under the palm trees and

05:28neon lights of Miami. The idea alone gives you goosebumps. But let's be real, it's not happening

05:34though, is it? Feels like every window. We get this tease, a whisper, a quote, a Miami might be an

05:41option line. And the internet does its thing. It's easy clicks. It's a dream that sells itself.

05:46The prince who never became the king is still rehabbing a hammy injury and into Miami would

05:51have to break their entire structure to even come close. Financially, logistically, it's a fantasy.

05:58A beautiful one, but a fantasy. Then again, this is football. Stranger things have happened.

06:02And if there's one club unhinged enough to make it real, it's into Miami.

06:07Anyway, back to planet Earth. Let's pivot to Manchester United, where it looks like they

06:11might be finally ready to cut the cord on Jadon Sancho. An underwhelming farewell to an

06:18underwhelming tenure. Jadon Sancho and Man United was a great idea, executed terribly.

06:24When the then 21-year-old walked through the doors of Old Trafford four years ago,

06:29it felt like the start of something special. England's golden boy, the assist king from

06:34Dortmund, a winger with swagger, high IQ and the kind of final third polish United were dying for.

06:40There were glimpses, moments of his brilliance we saw every week in the Bundesliga for the first

06:44time round. But even then, he never really quite exploded. He was good, but not great.

06:51Exact same at Chelsea. Glimpses, but no consistency. And that's the story now. He isn't a broken player,

06:58just one that hasn't landed in the right home since 2021.

07:02Napoli seem to be keeping tabs on the boy, and after what they've done with McTominay,

07:06who's to say they can't do it again? With De Bruyne already there, Lukaku leading the line and

07:12Conte pulling the strings, it feels like Conte's building a new Manchester All-Stars down in Naples.

07:18So how would Sancho actually fit into Conte's system? Surprisingly well, if the environment is right.

07:26Conte doesn't really do freestyle football, but his best teams always feature one or two attacking

07:32players with license to roam. Think Hazard at Chelsea or Son at Spurs. Wingers who track back

07:39when needed are given space to operate in transition, cut inside and dictate the half spaces. That's

07:45Sancho's ideal role. In a 3-4-3 or even a 3-5-2, Sancho could thrive as a left-sided forward

07:53just off Lukaku, close enough to combine, far enough to isolate full backs. And with KDB pulling the

07:59strings in the middle and wing backs creating width, Sancho wouldn't be expected to do everything,

08:04just focus on movement, interplay and creating chances. It's structured freedom, which I don't

08:10think he ever really got at United. Sancho to Napoli. I'm a fan. And that's all for now. Till next time.

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