Liverpool are reportedly close to their first sale of the summer, with academy talent Elijah Gift set to complete a move to Atheltic Club in the coming days.
Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to announce that the 16-year-old winger will undergo his medical in Bilbao ahead of Gift’s return to the Basque Country, with the Athletic reporting that Liverpool could earn as much as £1m from the Spanish youth international.
A right-sided attacker, Gift has impressed for Liverpool’s U-18s this season with the forward featuring for the Reds in the UEFA Youth League under Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, yet the pull of Athletic has seemingly been too much for the Merseyside giants to keep hold of the youngster.
Athletic’s Basque-only policy is one of the most famous in all of Europe, and with Gift born in the town of Corella in the region, it makes sense why the La Liga giants are willing to spend as much as £1m on a 16-year-old from Liverpool’s academy.
Liverpool could regret Gift sale despite Atheltic’s reputation
With three goals and three assists in all competitions this season, including a pair against Everton, Gift’s sale to Athletic could be one that Liverpool regret in the years to come, especially with how much emphasis the Bilbao side put into youth development.
The majority of Athletic’s side is made up of academy products, and with the La Liga giants putting up a decent fee for a 16-year-old in Gift, Liverpool might soon regret the decision to sell the forward this summer, though the youngster can hardly be criticised for wanting to make the move home to Basque Country.
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