- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Representatives of Aston Villa and Liverpool target Nico Williams are informing teams that the Athletic Bilbao winger is ready to agree a transfer, HITC understands.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a sprightly season so far in La Liga as Athletic Club challenge for qualification for a European competition. Ernesto Valverde’s squad currently sit fifth after 27 fixtures. Williams has also influenced 10 of their 46 goals so far over his 22 appearances.
Williams scoring three times and laying on seven assists to date has also earned the interest of an array of Premier League clubs. Aston Villa remain keen on signing the 11-cap Spaniard, having failed to sign the Pamplona native last summer. But Unai Emery’s club are not alone.
Liverpool are following Aston Villa target Nico Williams as an heir for Mohamed Salah
Liverpool have done a huge amount of work assessing Williams as the Reds look at potential attacking transfers. Anfield chiefs are keen to have wide targets in line for if Mohamed Salah departs Merseyside this summer, as is expected, with the Saudi Pro League preparing to bid.
Sources have confirmed to HITC Football that Liverpool are tracking Williams as a potential heir for Salah. But the interest in the Athletic product’s transfer is increasing. HITC can also confirm that Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United are keeping close tabs on him.
Nico Williams has a €50m (£42.5m) release clause in his contract with Athletic Bilbao
Williams’ representatives have also made it clear to all interested parties, including Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham, about the Athletic talent’s readiness to leave San Mames in the summer transfer market despite agreeing to a new contract in December.
The 5 ft 11 dynamo signed new terms which run until June 2027 but include a release clause worth €50m (£42.5m). It will enable Williams to leave Athletic at the end of the season. And the message now coming from his camp is that the winger does indeed want to move clubs.
Williams could have a lot to offer any of his interested parties with interest from around the Premier League. Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez lauded what the forward provides this January, before he scored late to hand Athletic a 4-2 win in their Copa del Rey quarter-final.
“Nico is an exceptional player,” Xavi said. “Good on both flanks, he can go one-on-one, he’s fast [and] has goals in him. This year he’s exploded in his goal-scoring role. He is a footballer who can make a difference and will be difficult to stop when he has space.”
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