Inaki Williams

Julian Denny

Full Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
4,203
Location
South Africa
I cannot believe they are even considering this - assuming press reports are true of course. Williams might be a raw prospect but he's 25 for goodness sake and has scored 33 goals in 157 appearances for Bilbao - by no means a satisfactory rate for a striker. This smacks of a panic buy - of the "get anyone who might be available to replace Lukaku" variety. Cant be true can it? If United cant land a quality midfielder then we should stick with what we have and look at the whole thing as a two to three season re-build where the promising youngsters we have play an increasing role.
 

Adnan

Talent Spotter
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Messages
29,862
Location
England
If we're to sign a forward in the time remaining in the window, then I hope it's Inaki Williams over the likes of Mandzukic, Llorente, Ben Yedder, Dembele..
 

neilv93

Full Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
383
Location
Bristol
Realistically I can't see it but price-aside, he fits the profile of what Ole has described wanting. Plus he's mainly been a RW throughout his career (until Aduriz couldn't play regularly and Inaki moved to ST). I'd love it if we sign him but too far-fetched IMO.
 

Nick7

Full Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
19,231
Location
Ireland
I cannot believe they are even considering this - assuming press reports are true of course. Williams might be a raw prospect but he's 25 for goodness sake and has scored 33 goals in 157 appearances for Bilbao - by no means a satisfactory rate for a striker. This smacks of a panic buy - of the "get anyone who might be available to replace Lukaku" variety. Cant be true can it? If United cant land a quality midfielder then we should stick with what we have and look at the whole thing as a two to three season re-build where the promising youngsters we have play an increasing role.
We aren't. He only moved to striker last season so looking at his goal tally for his whole career is pointless.
 

Redfan94

Full Member
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
872
What does willing to pay the release clause mean?

You wouldn’t go into a shop and tell the person behind the till, “See this packet of crisps? I’m willing to pay what they cost”.

You’d just pay it without announcing it.
 

Adam-Utd

Part of first caf team to complete Destiny raid
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
39,954
We arent paying 80m for a guy that's a pure speed merchant.

This is a fantasy tale :lol:

Why would we spend more money than we've received for a "world class" striker in Lukaku. Bonkers.
 

Hawks2008

Full Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2015
Messages
4,912
Location
Melbz
Ed should be made to do a shame walk if he pays this clause. Scattergun bullshit.
 

Betson

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2012
Messages
2,237
If true, reeks of desperation from a club that has no idea what it is doing and no real direction. So could well be true as that does sound like us.
 

DamoK

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Nov 10, 2018
Messages
190
Location
Ireland
Sky sports said it's not happening lads. Said we were interested this morning but looks like Mandzukic and that's it
 

Ikon

Correctly predicted France to win World Cup 2018
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
2,390
If true, reeks of desperation from a club that has no idea what it is doing and no real direction. So could well be true as that does sound like us.
Worringly accurate...:rolleyes:
 

Welbeckham

Full Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
1,552
I don’t want him. I’m not convinced he’s better than Rashford and Martial. Not that it’s happening anyway.
 

ash_86

Full Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
6,337

Linked with United and ended up signing 9..yes NINE year contract. 135m release clause.
 

Jimmy_Bond

New Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
583

Linked with United and ended up signing 9..yes NINE year contract. 135m release clause.
Talk about the wrong mentality to succeed. Would have missed Bilbao within 20 minutes of landing.
 

R'hllor

Full Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
15,414
Well with that release clause, they could give him 15 year contract doesnt matter, if he improves and reach that level, someone will pay the clause, specially with trend of current inflation.
 

izec

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
27,164
Location
Lucilinburhuc
We also got linked with Neres and a day after he signed a new contract :lol:

Good to see we are still getting used for contract renewals.
 

starman

Full Member
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
7,092
Location
Under a tree.
125m is not that much if he puts his game together. He certainly has the attributes to be a lethal attacker. If he doesnt he has job security at a decent level team for the rest of his career.

But I honestly wont be surprised to see someone pay it. Hes strikes me as one of these players that everything will click for, for one season, and then he will drift off into obscurity after the move
 
Last edited:

DomesticTadpole

Doom-monger obsessed with Herrera & the M.E.N.
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
100,449
Location
Barrow In Furness
135m clause? That's it then. He'll be stuck there for 9 years.
You do realise that these players want to be stuck there, they love their club. There are a few if them have signed contracts to keep themselves there. They are Basque and it means something to them.
 

Red Rash

Full Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2019
Messages
2,115
Isn't a 9 year contract bad for the player? At least if they sign a four or five year contract they are in a strong position to negotiate a higher salary after a couple of years.

I would assume the sweet spot for contract length would be long enough for financial security but short enough to have negotiating power
 

decorativeed

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
12,326
Location
Tameside
You do realise that these players want to be stuck there, they love their club. There are a few if them have signed contracts to keep themselves there. They are Basque and it means something to them.
Also, I would swap living in Manchester for living in Bilbao in a heartbeat, it's a fantastic city.
 

B20

HEY EVERYONE I IGNORE SOMEONE LOOK AT ME
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
Messages
27,547
Location
Disney Land
Supports
Liverpool
Talk about the wrong mentality to succeed.
Or, you know, the kind of admirable mentality that's in short supply in modern football. Loyalty.

But yeah, let's crap on his mentality because he didn't want to join united.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,514
Or, you know, the kind of admirable mentality that's in short supply in modern football. Loyalty.

But yeah, let's crap on his mentality because he didn't want to join united.
When did this happen?
 

DomesticTadpole

Doom-monger obsessed with Herrera & the M.E.N.
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
100,449
Location
Barrow In Furness
When did this happen?
We got linked with him right at the end of the window, but I think the new contract at Bilbao was already done and dusted anyway. They announced it yesterday, but contracts can take ages to be done, all the legal side etc. He will have agreed it ages ago. It was just papers linking us with anyone at the end to make last day more interesting. Inaki did not turn us down and we did not seriously go after him. Just paper talk.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,514
We got linked with him right at the end of the window, but I think the new contract at Bilbao was already done and dusted anyway. They announced it yesterday, but contracts can take ages to be done, all the legal side etc. He will have agreed it ages ago. It was just papers linking us with anyone at the end to make last day more interesting. Inaki did not turn us down and we did not seriously go after him. Just paper talk.
Exactly. It was just paper talk.
 

FootballHQ

Full Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
18,139
Supports
Aston Villa
Bilbao is a weird club.
Still brilliant to see one around with homegrown ethos in the globalisation age of football.

Bilbao were only a point away from making europa league last season so in pure football sense limited difference to Man. United at this moment in time.
 

stepic

Full Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
8,662
Location
London
Isn't a 9 year contract bad for the player? At least if they sign a four or five year contract they are in a strong position to negotiate a higher salary after a couple of years.

I would assume the sweet spot for contract length would be long enough for financial security but short enough to have negotiating power
he can renegotiate his salary
 

El-Manos

Full Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
14,924
Location
Ireland
Or, you know, the kind of admirable mentality that's in short supply in modern football. Loyalty.

But yeah, let's crap on his mentality because he didn't want to join united.
What? Says who? Who says we were even interested ?
 

flappyjay

Full Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
5,931
He can end up being an 80m player and will not get a move to a bigger club. He has put himself in a bad contract. It's not like with Saul who did it with a team that makes strides to surpass the big 2.

It's the same as Zaha last year. He got excited by a raise in salary and forgot that his greed might stand in the way of his ambitions. Now no one would dare pay what Palace want.