Gary McAllister Calls for Liverpool to Sign Harry Wilson on Free Transfer
Gary McAllister knows the value of a free transfer at Liverpool better than most. Now he wants his old club to repeat the trick.
The former Reds midfielder has called on Liverpool to join the race for Harry Wilson, who is poised to leave Fulham at the end of the month after failing to agree a new contract at Craven Cottage.
Wilson, 29, will not be short of options. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Everton have all been strongly linked with the Wales international, whose five-year spell at Fulham has quietly built a compelling Premier League résumé: 187 appearances, 36 goals, 46 assists, and a consistent threat from the right flank.
McAllister, though, believes Liverpool should be right in the middle of that conversation.
A return from the academy to Anfield?
Wilson’s story is already woven into Liverpool’s academy history. He came through the ranks at Kirkby, highly rated and heavily talked about, but his senior career on Merseyside never truly ignited. Just two first-team appearances, scattered between loan spells at Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Derby County, Bournemouth and Cardiff City, preceded his eventual move to Fulham – initially on loan, then permanently.
McAllister remembers that early promise clearly.
“He’s been coached in the Liverpool way, and he always caught the eye when you were around Anfield,” the ex-Scotland international said. When he was working around the club, Wilson’s name kept coming up among the youth standouts. What Fulham fans have seen in recent years, McAllister insists, is simply the natural extension of what Liverpool’s staff saw in the youth sides.
The attributes are familiar: sharp passing range, a clean strike from distance, set-piece quality, and a work-rate that has toughened with age. In McAllister’s eyes, Wilson has grown into “a very complete player”.
Liverpool’s need on the right
The timing is intriguing. Mohamed Salah has departed, leaving a gaping hole on Liverpool’s right side, while Hugo Ekitike faces a long-term injury lay-off. An attack that once felt overstocked suddenly looks light in both depth and variety.
Wilson, available on a free, brings Premier League experience, tactical discipline and a left foot that can unlock tight games. He also brings something else Liverpool value: familiarity with the club’s culture and demands.
The Welshman has also delivered on the international stage. With 69 caps for Wales and appearances in all three of their matches at the last World Cup, he has shown he can handle high-pressure environments and big occasions.
For McAllister, there is no debate over the level Wilson now operates at. Speaking to Grosvenor Casino, he described him as a “top-end Premier League player” and praised his impact for his country, highlighting his consistency and work ethic.
A free transfer with echoes of 2000
McAllister himself arrived at Anfield on a free transfer in 2000, a move some questioned at the time. He went on to become a pivotal figure in Liverpool’s treble-winning season, proof that smart, opportunistic deals can reshape a squad.
Wilson would not arrive as a marquee name in the Salah mould. He would arrive as a proven, hungry winger at his peak, with unfinished business at a club that once let him slip away.
There will be plenty of takers for a player with his numbers and experience. The question, as McAllister frames it, is simple: will Liverpool be one of them?
