Neco Williams Eyes Manchester United Move Amid Liverpool Interest

Neco Williams has heard the noise. Interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur will do that to a player. But one destination, according to those close to him, stands out above the rest.

He wants Old Trafford.

Carrick’s pull and United’s plan

BBC Sport revealed on July 9 that United had registered their interest in the Nottingham Forest full-back and opened the door to a summer move. Talks between Williams and Forest over a new contract are ongoing, with the Midlands club publicly relaxed about their chances of keeping him, but the landscape is shifting.

TEAMtalk now report that Williams is ready to join United in this window, with sources close to the Wales international stating that a move to Manchester “would particularly appeal” to him. The 25-year-old, who came through Liverpool’s academy, is described as keen to move amid interest from two Premier League clubs, even though no formal offers have landed on Forest’s desk yet.

The attraction is clear. United, reshaped under INEOS, have already pushed through a £50m deal for Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea and activated the £35m release clause in Youri Tielemans’s Aston Villa contract. They are buying age, energy and upside. Williams fits that profile.

He has operated primarily as a left-back for Forest over the past two seasons, but his background as a right-back offers valuable flexibility. For a United squad that has creaked under the strain of injuries and inconsistency in both full-back positions, that kind of versatility is not a luxury. It’s a requirement.

Forest’s stance: tied down but not tied up

Forest, for their part, are not behaving like a selling club. Williams is under contract at the City Ground until the summer of 2029, a long-term deal that gives the Tricky Trees serious leverage in any negotiation. They are in talks with the former Liverpool defender over a new contract with an improved salary, and those inside the club remain confident he can be persuaded to stay.

That confidence is rooted in more than just paperwork. Since arriving in the summer of 2022 for a total package of £17.5m, Williams has grown into a key figure, adapting to Steve Cooper’s demands and then the subsequent managerial changes, switching flanks when required and embracing Forest’s often backs-to-the-wall existence in the Premier League.

But the pressure of the market is building. United’s interest has been logged. Newcastle have tracked him. Tottenham have also been credited with an eye on the Wales international. When three clubs with Champions League ambitions hover around a player who already believes he is ready for the next step, holding the line becomes harder.

And Williams is said to be “open to testing himself at a bigger club, particularly Manchester United”. That is the kind of phrase that makes sporting directors sit up. It also forces Forest to decide what “not for sale” really means when serious bids arrive.

Liverpool’s quiet interest – in the bank balance

All of this is music to Liverpool’s ears, even if the idea of one of their academy graduates pulling on a United shirt will jar with some on Merseyside.

When Liverpool sold Williams to Forest in July 2022, transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reported that the Reds secured a 15% sell-on clause as part of the deal. Any significant fee Forest extract now will send a healthy slice back to Anfield.

Williams made 33 senior appearances for Liverpool, scoring six goals, before the club chose to cash in. At the time, it felt like a clean break: a promising full-back searching for regular minutes and a club happy to bank a sizeable fee for a squad player.

Two years on, that clause suddenly matters. With Williams tied down until 2029, Forest are under no pressure to accept a cut-price offer. They can demand a substantial sum from any suitor, knowing that his age, Premier League experience and positional flexibility will tempt clubs who are trying to rebuild their back lines.

Liverpool will not dictate the move. They have no buy-back, no veto. But they will be running the numbers. Every extra million Forest negotiate out of United, Newcastle or Spurs fattens Liverpool’s own return.

A career crossroads

For Williams, this is about more than clauses and balance sheets. At 25, he sits at a natural crossroads in his career. Stay at Forest, take the pay rise, and continue as a guaranteed starter in a team fighting to stabilise in the Premier League. Or jump now, into the scrutiny and expectation that comes with a move to a club like United.

The appeal of United is obvious: a giant in transition, new money and new ideas under INEOS, and the promise of working under Michael Carrick, whose growing reputation as a coach has not gone unnoticed among players. The full-back would arrive as part of a broader rebuild, not as a token addition.

Forest will fight to keep him. Newcastle and Tottenham will not step aside quietly. Liverpool will quietly await the final figure.

The decision, though, is edging towards the player. If Neco Williams truly wants to test himself on the biggest stage, how long can Forest’s resistance hold?