Revealed: The SIX clubs interested in signing Nico Williams

Cameron Smith

24 Oct 2023 19:06 BST
3 min read

Nico Williams, Athletic Club, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Spanish winger Nico Williams is being chased by Europe’s top clubs as his contract at Athletic Club edges towards its expiry date.

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Williams, 21, has less than 12 months left on his current deal at Athletic Club and is set to become a free agent next summer unless he signs a new contract at the club.

His intriguing situation in Spain has attracted the interest of some major European clubs, as he will be able to negotiate a free transfer move as early as January 2024.

Williams is being closely monitored by multiple teams and 90min have reported that six clubs have expressed their desire to sign the Spain international.

According to 90min, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all admirers of Williams and have been regularly checking his situation in Spain.

Williams was expected to sign a new two-year contract at Athletic Club this summer, but an agreement was not reached.

However, the Spanish club remain confident he will sign a new deal and won’t leave in 2024. "We feel calm about that,” Athletic Club president John Uriarte said recently.

© ProShots - Nico Williams, Athletic Club

“We think he's going to extend and stay with us, this will happen. We want an attractive project, feeling sure that Nico Williams will be part of that for many years to come.”

What else has been said?

In addition, Fabrizio Romano has also reported that Chelsea were interested in Williams this summer.

“In that list of players being considered by Chelsea alongside [Michael] Olise, alongside Cole Palmer and many others there was also Nico Williams,” Romano revealed. “Chelsea have been scouting Nico Williams for a long time, then they decided to go for Cole Palmer as a priority target.

“What happens now with Nico Williams? We have many rumours on Barcelona and on many other clubs, but from what I'm told, there is a concrete, a really concrete possibility to extend his contract at Athletic Bilbao.

© ProShots - Chelsea signed Cole Palmer this summer

“At the moment, his contract expires in summer 2024, so it's a kind of dangerous situation for Nico Williams, but Athletic are confident to extend the contract also with a release clause included and it could be around €50 million.

“This is still being discussed, but the possibility of Nico Williams extending the contract is concrete.”