Athletic Bilbao are confident of retaining Nico Williams with the La Liga star reportedly turning down the chance to join Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in the Premier League.
There was some mixed news for Aston Villa last week in their pursuit of a pair of Spain internationals.
On one hand, a deal to reunite former Villarreal coach Unai Emery with Pau Torres at Villa Park has been agreed. One of Europe’s finest young centre-halves is heading to the Midlands for around £35 million (The Guardian).
On the other, the Basque-born Nico Williams is ready to rebuff Aston Villa’s advances in favour of extending his stay at San Mames. The Athletic academy graduate was reportedly offered a contract worth £115,000-a-week in England; Villa triggering the £43 million release clause in his contract.
But, according to Cadena Cope, Nico Williams will now be sticking around alongside older brother Inaki for at least another two seasons instead.
Nico Williams snubs Aston Villa move
“Nico came when he was 11 years old. He was trained in our academy. He is very comfortable here,” Athletic president Jon Uriarte tells Radio Nacional de Espana.
“His family is from Athletic, and his brother is another of the great players from the first-team. We are trying to provide the means so that he can extend his career with us, and we think that we are going to achieve it.
“Both parties want to understand each other. And I think we will achieve (a contract extension).”
Williams scored nine goals and set up six more during an excellent 2022/23 campaign; elder sibling Inaki labelling the 20-year-old forward an ‘unstoppable’ force.
Williams ongoing commitment to the Athletic cause, meanwhile, could see Aston Villa step up their pursuit of Barcelona benchwarmer Ferran Torres, while Uriarte frets about the growing financial divide between the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga.
“(The Premier League) is a threat to the rest of the competitions,” Uriarte adds. “Their income is higher than the rest, and they are not subject to the financial control that we have in La Liga. They are paying exorbitant amounts.
“It is a threat to Athletic and to all the clubs that do not belong to it. We should do something to deal with it.”
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