As Liverpool search for another winger to add to the signing of Victor Munoz this summer, Andoni Iraola has already given an insight into what he wants from his wide men.
“I sometimes value much more a player carrying the ball and forcing things to happen,” the Basque told The Independent in January 2025.
“I think when you play too positional – one, two touches to find a free man – you sometimes lose the initiative from the players to just take their man on and attack the spaces.”
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Though he was not talking about wingers specifically, it is the wide forwards who are most likely to be able to force things to happen by playing in this manner. So, with Liverpool looking for adept dribblers to provide Iraola with, who is the best option from each of Europe’s top five leagues this summer?
Premier League: Crysencio Summerville
Judging from the players with the most successful dribbles per 90 minutes during the 2025/26 season, Liverpool fans may not be surprised to learn that Iraola already has the number one player in this area at his disposal.
Rio Ngumoha finished top of the pile last season, registering 4.9 successful dribbles per 90, 0.7 ahead of Jeremy Doku.
Though that bodes extremely well for Ngumoha’s prospects under Iraola, the youngster is still only 17 and needs to be protected from playing week on week.
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As a result, Liverpool should look down the list, and though 11th place Yankuba Minteh appears to be a genuine target, we think Crysencio Summerville is a better option.
The West Ham man comfortably outscored Minteh last season, and with West Ham relegated to the Championship, he would surely be more easily attainable than his Brighton counterpart.
Summerville finished in 19th place in the Premier League for successful dribbles per 90, with 1.9, the same amount as Hugo Ekitike. With a completion rate of 48.6%, he clears the likes of Noni Madueke, Estevao Willian and Rayan Cherki, who all sit ahead of him.
Bundesliga: Antonio Nusa
Assess this particular data, and it is easy to see why Liverpool wanted Yan Diomande this summer. The Ivorian was the player with the most successful dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga last season, registering 4.3 every match at a percentage of 59.9%.
That is far ahead of second-placed Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab, who could also be an interesting option for Liverpool, but is still a little too inexperienced to be considered here.
Instead, the Reds could look to the third-placed player, and Diomande’s RB Leipzig teammate Antonio Nusa.
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Nusa is reportedly available this summer, and having completed three dribbles per match at a success rate of 52.7%, the Norwegian should definitely be an attractive proposition to Iraola.
Another reported target – Koln’s Said El Mala – sits 13th on the list, but his two dribbles per match come at a success rate of only 37%, making Nusa a better fit.
La Liga: Nico Williams
Liverpool have already signed the 12th most successful dribbler in La Liga last season, with Munoz registering 2.5 dribbles at a rate of 42.1%.
If they are to return to Spain for another signing, though, they should be looking at one man and one man only: Nico Williams.
The Athletic Bilbao sensation had a disappointing season by his standards last term, scoring only six times, and is currently injured.
But, still only 23 and not completely out of reach financially, the Euro 2024 winner would still be a potentially elite option, in dribbling terms at least.
Williams finished as the third most successful dribbler in La Liga last season, completing 3.6 per game at a success rate of 46.2%.
This put him behind only Lamine Yamal and Sevilla’s Chidera Ejuke, and though his stock has fallen a little, he is still a player who could thrive under his fellow Basque at Liverpool.
Ligue 1: Bradley Barcola
This may be an obvious pick given he is seemingly Liverpool’s top target for the remainder of the summer, but there is a reason Iraola wants to sign Bradley Barcola.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger sat 12th in Ligue 1 dribbler terms after beating his man 1.9 times per match, or 41.4%.
Though he is below PSG teammates Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2nd), Desire Doue (9th) and Ousmane Dembele (10th), none of that trio are available, making Barcola the only realistic option for Liverpool.
Fellow PSG man Isaac Mbaye, who completed the same amount of per 90 dribbles at a slightly lower success rate, may be another option, although the 18-year-old is inexperienced and would be more of a gamble.
Serie A: Francisco Conceicao
Towards the end of last season, when it became clear that Mohamed Salah was going to leave, Liverpool were linked with Juventus wide man Francisco Conceicao.
Again, there is consistency to these links, with Conceicao proving to be one of the best in Serie A for taking on his man in 2025/26.
He was not right at the top of the list, but was ultimately ranked as the sixth best, after completing 2.3 dribbles per 90, with an impressive 52.9% success rate.
Crucially, Conceicao is also a left-footer who is natural on the right, which makes him an attractive option for Liverpool.
He could improve on the four goals scored last season, but at 23, he still has years of development ahead of him.
Fourth-place Kenan Yildiz would potentially be a dream option for Liverpool, but the Turk is not going anywhere and is more of an attacking midfielder than a winger regardless.
It could well be that one of these players is the one to arrive as Iraola’s new wing hope this summer, or maybe there’ll be a surprise out of nowhere. If there is, though, you can bet they’ll feature highly in terms of successful dribbles at wherever they were playing last season.
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