Reported Aston Villa transfer target Nico Williams has been linked with an exit this summer from Athletic Bilbao after talk of our interest in January.
As per the Daily Mail last month, Villa were prepared to pay the 20-year-old’s £45m release clause, but ultimately the youngster opted to turn down a departure as he wanted to stay with his current club.
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However, with his current contract with Athletic set to expire in June 2024, question marks are seemingly being raised over his long-term future at the club, as Estadio Deportivo report that the talented youngster is considering an exit at the end of the season.
While the La Liga outfit are unsurprisingly keen to secure an agreement on a renewal, the report above adds that his older brother, Inaki, has raised doubts over his future at the club with his recent comments, while Villa are specifically mentioned and details of our contract offer of €135,000-a-week have been touted.
In turn, although it’s reiterated that Williams is happy in Bilbao, there is still a long way to go in negotiations over a new contract it seems and the player himself is tempted by the opportunity of a new challenge elsewhere, and so the idea of a farewell isn’t considered that unlikely.
It’s a promising update on the situation, but ultimately it’s still a long way from suggesting that Villa are making definite progress in their reported pursuit, and so it remains to be seen if the idea of signing Williams becomes more concrete and realistic the closer we get to the summer transfer window.
There is little doubt about the impact that the talented Spanish international could make for us though, as he’s shown improvement and a development in his game this season to register seven goals and six assists in 27 appearances across all competitions.
Coupled with the fact that Villa boss Unai Emery was public with his desire to sign a winger last month, Williams would certainly represent a solution and an exciting long-term fix to play on our right side, with the likes of John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey being played in that role since Emery arrived.
Time will tell how the situation develops in the coming months, but based on the report above, it’s one that Villa will no doubt be monitoring very closely as we could reignite our interest in Williams this summer, if it becomes apparent that he’s unlikely to put pen to paper on a new deal with Athletic.