Nico Williams could deal a blow to Aston Villa and Barcelona in their attempts to sign him as he closes in on a renewal with Athletic Club.
According to El Correo via Sport Witness, Aston Villa and Barcelona may have to forget about signing Nico Williams as the attacker closes in on a contract renewal. Athletic Club have shown persistence in their efforts to extend the 20-year-old La Liga forward’s deal and are inching towards success.
Nico Williams has emerged as a top talent with his performances for Athletic Club. The Spanish side have been aware of the growing interest in the 20-year-old star. There’s an innate fear that top clubs could take him on a free transfer, considering his current contract expires next summer.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery pushed for a move last summer and continues to hold an interest in the 20-year-old La Liga forward. The report states that Williams has already rejected two offers from Athletic Club but has not shown signs of a departure.
However, Williams is now closing on a new deal with the club, and that may signal the end of the pursuit for his signature. Emery wanted the Spaniard as he was searching for a left winger during the summer. With the injury issues with Leon Bailey, he did manage to sign Nicolo Zaniolo.
The Italian’s future has now come under a cloud following the betting allegations he has caught himself with. With a significant ban from football looming large, Aston Villa may have thought about accelerating their pursuit of Nico Williams.
Incidentally, the report states he has a €50 million release clause in his current contract. Still, Villa and Barcelona may have thought about paying less in January had he declined more offers from Athletic Club. With the 20-year-old La Liga forward now closing in on a new deal, it will come as a blow for the likes of the Premier League and Spanish side.
However, from Villa’s perspective, there’s still some hope despite Williams’ potential new deal. As per the report, Athletic are open to retaining the €50 million release clause, which, even if they increase, may not cross the €60 million mark.
Hence, if Villa are keen, they must trigger that clause, and in this scenario, they might beat the likes of Barcelona for the winger. However, the big issue there would be to convince the player of the move, something he has not shown any inclination towards so far.
