Nico Williams, the standout Spanish winger at Euro 2024, has clarified his preferred club amid increasing transfer interest.
Williams has been exceptional for Spain in the tournament, particularly during their 4-1 victory over Georgia, where he notched a goal and an assist. This performance helped Spain secure a quarter-final matchup against hosts Germany and heightened interest in the 21-year-old’s services.
Among the interested parties are Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool. According to the Spanish outlet Sport, Chelsea has already made an approach through an intermediary. However, Williams has expressed a preference for joining Barcelona. Despite this, Chelsea remains hopeful and has received advice to remain patient during negotiations. As Barcelona’s financial troubles might prevent them from affording the Athletic Bilbao forward.
Williams reportedly has a €55 million (£46.5 million) release clause in his contract, which Chelsea is prepared to meet. The Blues are also willing to offer a signing-on fee between €15 million (£12.7 million) and €20 million (£16.9 million).
Despite the fact that he has three years left on his contract with Bilbao, Williams remains focused on his performance at the Euros, brushing aside the growing transfer speculation. He commented last week: “Everything that comes from outside is good, it means I’m doing my job well. Every kid dreams of big clubs noticing them. I’m focused on doing well at the European Championship and whatever comes after that I’ll find out because these days I’m totally disconnected.”
His Spain teammate, Yamine Lamal, has encouraged him to consider Barcelona. Lamal said: “We get along very well, and you can see that on the pitch too, that we are very close, that we are very good friends, and that is the most important thing to have the connection on the pitch. I wish Nico could come to Barca.”
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao president Jon Uriarte has assured fans that Williams is content with his current club. He told TribalFootball: “We have impressive talent in the squad. When things are like this, it’s normal that there are players who arouse interest, but we’re not here to talk about rumours. Nico is happy in Bilbao and at Athletic and we’re very happy with Nico. We don’t worry about or pay attention to rumours. Our focus is on creating an attractive project for all our players, striving for titles, and competing in Europe.”
As the transfer window progresses, Chelsea fans will be watching closely to see if they can persuade Williams to choose Stamford Bridge over the allure of Barcelona.
Leave a Reply