Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal are the sides being most closely linked with €58m winger Nico Williams this summer, and while there has been intensive reporting regarding an exit, Athletic Club remain confident they can retain him.
Athletic President Jon Uriarte emitted a strong statement critcising Barcelona and the Royal Spanish Football Federation for their handling of the 21-year-old’s situation this summer, and they will do everything they can to hold onto him say Relevo. “I took your advice, I took your advice, eh” Williams reportedly told teammate Unai Simon after signing a contract renewal late last year until 2027.
Simon was advising him about his contract situation, bearing in mind he could have run down his contract this year. The dressing room have been doing their best to keep him at the club, making him as comfortable as possible, and selling him on the idea of playing in Europe next year with Athletic for the first time. The atmosphere at the club is phenomenal after he helped deliver their first major trophy in 40 years, and his teammates remind him that he won’t find anything else like he has in Bilbao.
Deco, Barça's sporting director, and Félix Tainta, Nico Williams' agent, met this afternoon at a point in the city of Zaragoza to agree on the conditions of the Spanish international's future contract. @gerardromero
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 17, 2024
In addition, his family will play a key role in his decision making, and they advised him to sign a new deal last year. None more so than his brother Inaki Williams, who Nico looks up to, and will no doubt try to convince him to remain for at least another year with him.
Reports coming out of Catalonia have been hinting that Williams is keen to join Barcelona, and certainly if he does decide to leave, then the Blaugrana seem to be his preference at the time of writing. Yet it is a big ‘if’ – in the Basque Country, the line has also been that they are confident of retaining Williams. As of now, Williams has headed off to Ibiza to begin what will no doubt be a long four-week holiday to relax after Euro 2024.
