Neco Williams Eyes Manchester United Move from Nottingham Forest

Neco Williams is ready to test himself on a bigger stage – and he wants that stage to be Old Trafford.

The Nottingham Forest full-back, once a promising academy graduate at Liverpool, is understood to be keen on a move to Manchester United this summer, with the prospect of working under Michael Carrick a major pull, according to TEAMtalk. For Liverpool, watching one of their own potentially head to their greatest rivals would usually sting. This time, it could pay.

United circle, Williams listens

BBC Sport revealed on July 9 that Manchester United had registered their interest in Williams, opening the door to a move that has been quietly brewing in the background of this window. United have made contact with Forest over the 25-year-old’s situation and are aware that talks over a new deal at the City Ground are ongoing.

Forest, for their part, have been calm. The club remain confident he will eventually commit to fresh terms and a pay rise, and those close to the Midlands side have stressed that no formal offers have landed on the table.

But the mood around the player is shifting.

TEAMtalk report that sources close to Williams say a move to United “would particularly appeal” to him, even with his long-standing Liverpool roots. He came through at Anfield, wore the shirt, lived the rivalry. Now he is prepared to cross that divide if the opportunity arises.

The Wales international is described as “keen on moving amid interest from the two Premier League clubs” – United and Newcastle United – although neither has yet submitted a formal bid. Tottenham Hotspur have also joined the chase, adding another heavyweight to the queue.

Yet the message from Williams’ camp is clear: if the call comes from Old Trafford, that is the one he wants to answer.

A defender ready to step up

Williams has rebuilt his career at Forest. Signed from Liverpool in the summer of 2022, he has been used primarily as a left-back over the past two seasons, while remaining comfortable on his natural right side. That versatility, combined with his energy and delivery from wide areas, has turned him into an attractive option for clubs looking to modernise their full-back positions.

He is not a stop-gap. At 25, with Premier League experience and international pedigree with Wales, he looks like a player entering his prime years. TEAMtalk’s line that he is “open to testing himself at a bigger club, particularly Manchester United” underlines that sense of timing. He has outgrown survival battles. He wants to compete higher up the table.

Forest know it, too. Williams is tied down until 2029, a long contract that hands the club real leverage. The Tricky Trees are under no pressure to sell and will demand a substantial fee for any club serious about taking him away. They are already in negotiations over an improved deal, an attempt to protect their asset and, if possible, persuade him that his ambitions can be met in Garibaldi red.

United’s new era, new targets

Manchester United are moving with intent in this window under INEOS. The club have already secured Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £50 million deal and activated the £35 million release clause in Youri Tielemans’ Aston Villa contract. The midfield is being rebuilt with youth, legs and technical quality.

Attention now turns to the flanks of the defence. United’s full-back positions have been a recurring headache in recent seasons, with injuries, inconsistency and tactical reshuffles leaving the squad short of reliable, multi-functional options. Williams ticks several of those boxes at once.

His ability to play on both sides offers tactical flexibility. His age fits the profile of a squad being reshaped for the medium term rather than another short-term patch. And his Premier League grounding means he would not require a long adaptation period.

No bid has gone in yet, but the groundwork is clear: interest registered, player receptive, selling club braced.

Liverpool watching with interest

Liverpool will watch this saga with more than just curiosity. When they sold Williams to Forest in 2022, Fabrizio Romano reported that the deal, worth up to £17.5 million with add-ons, included a 15% sell-on clause in favour of the Reds.

Any sizeable fee Forest extract now would send money back to Anfield. A move to Manchester United, of all places, could end up boosting Liverpool’s own transfer kitty.

Williams made 33 senior appearances for Liverpool, scoring six goals, before seeking regular first-team football elsewhere. His exit felt like the natural next step for a young player blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right and fierce competition across the back line. Two years on, that decision may turn into a lucrative piece of long-term business for Liverpool’s recruitment team.

Forest’s fight to keep their man

For Forest, this is a test of their new-found status. They have survived in the Premier League, invested heavily and sold smartly when required. Losing one of their key full-backs would hurt, particularly to a domestic rival with deeper pockets.

The club’s stance remains that they want Williams to stay and that talks over a new contract – including a pay rise – are active. They can point to his central role in their recent campaigns and the security of a deal running until 2029. They can also drive a hard bargain, knowing that several top-six clubs are circling.

But when a player decides he is ready for a bigger stage, and when that stage is Manchester United, resistance only works for so long. The question now is not whether Neco Williams is open to the move. It is how far United are willing to go to prise him away – and how high Forest will push the price before they finally blink.