.png)
5 months ago
34
Nico Williams is reported to be on the transfer radars of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona – but the player insists he's happy at parent club, Athletic Bilbao.
According to talkSPORT, Williams is reported to have 'a release clause worth as little as £47million (€55million)', and this could tempt several Premier League clubs to make an approach after the Euros.
The winger delivered a man-of-the-match performance for Spain on Thursday, after their dominant 1-0 victory over Italy, in their second Group B match of the tournament.
Despite attracting the attention of several big clubs, speaking ahead of Euro 2024, the 21-year-old said he is content with life at Athletic Club.
'I am very happy,' Williams said. 'It is the club that has given me everything, the one that has bet on me 100 per cent. I am quite clear, in the end, as I have told you, Athletic is my home.'
Nico Williams' Euro 2024 heroics have placed him on the radars of Europe's top teams
He put in a man-of-the-match performance in Spain's 1-0 victory over Italy, on Thursday
Williams' comments are likely to have been reassuring to Athletic fans as much as their president, Jon Uriarte, who stated the club remain calm about their winger's future.
'The interest is normal but Nico is very happy in Bilbao,' Uriarte said. 'We're very happy with him. We're not worried.'
Performances at the Euros will have certainly have elevated his stock among Europe's elite, but his domestic form throughout the 2023-24 LaLiga season suggests the winger's quality is no flash-in-the-pan.
Williams finished last season with eight goals and 16 assists in 32 appearances, and helped spur Athletic Club onto a fifth-placed finish, and most importantly, their first Copa del Rey in 40 years.
Williams provided eight goals and 16 assists in Athletic Bilbao's Copa-winning 2023-24 season
He has a reported release clause of £47million, but has insisted he's happy at his parent club
This form reportedly made him Barcelona coach 'Xavi Hernandez's first choice for left wing next season', although it's believed the club's sporting director, Deco, favours Liverpool's Luis Diaz.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, apparently made an approach for the player last summer, and may do so again with the lure of Champions League football in this transfer window, as they look to build depth in the squad that took them to fourth place.
But it's likely the Villains would face stiff competition from other Premier League teams also in the competition, such as Arsenal or Liverpool – or even Chelsea who are not – as they may be more able to trigger Williams' release clause from a financial point-of-view.
English (US)