Nico Williams has confirmed he had offers to leave Athletic Bilbao this summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea among his admirers, according to reports.
The 22-year-old dazzled at Euro 2024 for Spain and is widely considered to be one of the most promising young players in LaLiga at the moment.
Barcelona made Williams a top target for the summer window but their limited finances ultimately prevented them from making a sufficient offer.
The pacy forward scored eight goals and made 19 assists in 37 appearances last season – with him being one of LaLiga’s top chance creators.
As previously reported, Arsenal and Chelsea also kept close tabs on Williams this summer. The winger had a release clause of €55million ($59m; £47m) in his contract and it was suggested that the London duo were considering triggering it.
But Williams signed a new contract in July which removed the clause and made luring him away from Bilbao difficult for all his suitors.
Arsenal ended up signing Raheem Sterling to bolster their options in the winger position, while Chelsea brought in Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Williams has now spoken about his future in an interview with DAZN, admitting he’s not sure what the future holds as top clubs across Europe continue to keep tabs on him.
“There were approaches from many clubs [this summer]. I did well at the Euros and that’s a great showcase,” Williams said.
“I had many clubs to choose from but my heart is with Athletic Club. I’m happy here and I’m very happy here. God knows what will happen in the future.”
Arsenal, Chelsea interest in Williams unlikely to fade
Williams’ new price tag after his new deal is estimated to be around €70m ($77m; £58.9m) by Transfermarkt, but that could go up if he has another excellent season.
He is yet to make a goal contribution in his first four LaLiga matches this season but has shown positive signs, with Athletic picking up four points so far.
The fact that Basque side will be competing in the Europa League this season may well have played into Williams’ decision to extend his contract with them.
He has spent his entire career with Athletic, and the club has a long tradition of keeping hold of star players. Although, they also rely upon big sales from time to time to balance the books.
Kepa Arrizabalga and Aymeric Laporte have left Athletic for £72m and £57m respectively in recent years, with Ander Herrera and Javi Martinez among their other well-known departees.
Williams may well join a top European side like Arsenal or Chelsea in the coming years but it’s very unlikely he’ll leave in the January transfer window
0 Comments