Liverpool FC have confirmed the signing of highly rated teenager Will Wright from Salford City in a deal worth £200,000 on a three year contract. The 17-year-old striker makes the move to Anfield on a permanent deal after breaking into the first team at Salford during the 2024-25 season.
Liverpool have beaten Premier League rivals Arsenal to the signing of a 17-year-old with just four senior appearances to his name, but one whose potential has peaked the interest of several top-flight clubs.
Despite limited first-team exposure during the 2024–25 campaign, Salford City forward Will Wright has emerged as one of the most talked-about prospects outside of the Premier League.
talkSPORT’s Alex Crook and transfer insider Ben Jacobs reported earlier this month that Liverpool were in advanced negotiations with Salford and hoped to complete the deal for a fee believed to be in excess of £200,000 including performance-based add-ons.
However, conflicting reports emerged that Arsenal had trumped Liverpool’s agreement, hijacking the deal and offered an increased upfront sum.
The 17-year-old may not yet be a household name, but within academy circles he’s earned a reputation as a fast-rising talent. A sharp, intelligent forward with good movement and a strong eye for goal, Wright made his senior debut for Salford City in January against Manchester City when he came off the bench during an 8-0 FA Cup drubbing at the Etihad.
That appearance may have only been a brief three-minute cameo, but it signified the level of trust Salford’s coaching staff, led by former Liverpool academy coach Karl Robinson, have in the teenager. In total, Wright made four senior appearances for Salford during the 2024–25 season and was named in the matchday squad 11 times. He scored more than 50 goals at all levels for the League Two side.
His first-team minutes amount to just 80, but it is his recent pre-season form that has reignited attention. Wright has scored four goals in three friendlies so far this summer, including a brace against FC United of Manchester in a 2-2 draw further strengthening his case for a move to the top level.
Wright shared his gratitude at being granted first-team opportunities when speaking to the club website.
“I feel great, I’m ready. For all of us, it’s a fantastic opportunity, Just to be even playing games, let alone training with the first team.
Getting the opportunity and gaining the experience and taking things back to the B team and academy where we can influence them and hopefully bring more and more up, hopefully bring more people through and get more debuts.”
It’s now been confirmed that the Reds have held off Arsenal’s approach and that Wright has already completed both parts of his medical, signing a contract until 2028.
??? Will Wright completed second part of medical as new Liverpool player from Salford City.
Contract until June 2028, three year deal… and here we go. ??? #LFCpic.twitter.com/ICNJgBwwhT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 29, 2025
Wright’s transfer would follow a growing trend of Liverpool investing in elite teenage talent from lower-league or rival Premier League academies.
In recent windows, the Reds have brought in Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea, Trey Nyoni from Leicester, Amara Nallo from West Ham and Ben Doak from Celtic. All of these signings have been made with an eye not just on academy success, but potential first-team integration.
Ngumoha, still just 17, made his senior Liverpool debut last season, has been part of Arne Slot’s early pre-season sessions and played the first 45 minutes of the Reds first pre-season game against Preston. Nyoni, too, is expected to train regularly with the first team after impressing at under-18 and under-21 levels.
The signing of Wright fits this profile. He is expected to start out with the Liverpool Under-21s, but depending on development and adaptation, could be fast-tracked into Slot’s senior environment — particularly with the new head coach known for integrating youth.
The move didn’t come without competition. Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford, and Burnley had all been linked with the youngster in recent months. That interest ramped up further after his strong pre-season performances and the increasing visibility of Salford City’s talent pipeline.
But Liverpool’s long-standing relationship with Karl Robinson and their growing reputation for giving young players a pathway to first-team football appeared to have given them the edge. Salford, co-owned by Manchester United icons Gary Neville and David Beckham, are reluctantly preparing to lose their starlet in what is their first summer window since becoming sole owners of the club.
The deal has gone through as expected, he linked up with Rob Page’s U21s squad last week and made his first appearance on Saturday, featuring for the final half-hour of a goalless draw with Hull City at the Academy. His exact pathway remains to be seen, but the club’s track record with similar talents offers encouragement.
Ben Doak and Tyler Morton have featured for the senior side and are still highly rated. Arne Slot is known for blooding youth at Feyenoord and players like Wright may find themselves involved in first-team training environments sooner than expected.
The club also benefit from excellent training facilities at the AXA Training Centre, where academy players train in close proximity to the first-team squad increasing exposure and accelerating development.
This is about building the next generation of talent ensuring Liverpool’s success doesn’t just come from big money buys, but from nurturing players ready to rise through the ranks. For Wright, the move represents a huge opportunity. For Liverpool, it’s another smart bet on youth and one that could quietly pay off in the years ahead.
