Premier League giants Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are keen on Nico Williams with the Spain international’s Athletic Bilbao team-mate desperate for him to stay at the La Liga outfit.
Most clubs would find it difficult to replace a forward of Nico Williams’ pace and potential. Athletic Bilbao, however, will face a tougher challenge than most, should an Arsenal, an Aston Villa, a Tottenham or a Liverpool trigger the £43 million release clause in the winger’s contract.
Athletic, after all, are restricted to signing players born in, or those who grew up in, the Basque region. And Nico Williams may be one of those once-in-a-generation talents, likened to Kylian Mbappe due to his searing pace and his devastating dribbling ability.
No wonder Oscar de Marcos, the 21-year-old’s long-serving team-mate, is desperate to see Williams follow in the footsteps of his older brother Inaki and commit his future to life at San Mames.
Arsenal and Aston Villa eye Spain star Nico Williams
“I see Nico doing well, as always,” De Marcos tells Mundo Deportivo. “For us, he is an important player because he has that ability to imbalance (defenders).
“It would help us if he stayed here. I trust that it will be like that, and I hope so. I would love it, for the good of Athletic.”
According to 90Min, the aforementioned Premier League quartet are all keeping tabs on Williams. Liverpool may see the Pamplona-born speedster, who would give the Flash a run for his money, as a potential successor for Mo Salah, with Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ittihad reluctant to take ‘no’ for an answer and the Egyptian’s contract running down.
Williams may lack Salah’s prolific goalscoring ability, but he still has seven goal contributions in just nine appearances this term.
The good news, as far as Athletic Club are concerned, is that Williams appears to be in no rush to pack his bags, turning down a £115,000-a-week offer from Aston Villa over the summer and forcing Unai Emery to shift his focus to Moussa Diaby.
Liverpool may need a Mo Salah replacement
“(The rumours are) a recurring theme. In Bilbao, we have peace of mind. We want an attractive project for Nico and other players,” Athletic president Jon Uriarte tells DAZN.
Williams’ current contract expires next summer. Uriarte, however, remains confident that his prized asset will soon put pen to paper on an extension.
“We trust that Nico will find the project attractive, and we think that’s how it’s going to be,” he adds. “His family is loyal to Athletic. (Staying here) is the best for his career.
“As for possible rumours, we have no idea.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
