Nico Williams is a man in high demand right now. The 22 year old winger impressed everyone in Euro 2024. He played an important role in making Spain European champions. Spain defeated England in the final to lift the Euro cup for the fourth time in history. Williams opened the scoring for Spain and went to receive the player of the match award. His Euro 2024 performances have caught eyes of many top clubs across Europe. FC Barcelona are regarded as favourites to land Williams. However some Premier League clubs have joined the race for him too. London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are both interested to sign Williams.
Nico Williams – man in demand right now
Nico Williams has many top clubs interested in him this summer. FC Barcelona are interested to pair him with his national teammate Lamine Yamal. Williams and Yamal paired up to open the scoring in final. Yamal created history as he became the youngest player to win Euros. Barca want to improve their left wing side and repeat Spain’s strategy. Many sources say that Camp Nou is possibly Nico’s next destination.
However the La Liga giants maybe pushed back due to his release clause. Williams has three more years left on his Athletico Bilbao contract. In addition he has £50 million release clause. Barcelona may find it hard to trigger the clause due to their current financial situation. However, Barca’s president Joan Laporta has told the fans that they are capable to afford Williams.
Chelsea have quality wingers available. However they are significantly weak on the left wing. Cole Palmer who is the best Chelsea player currently plays as a right winger. In addition, Noni Madueke also plays primarily on the right side. Christopher Nkunku can play on the left side but is more effective in the centre. Williams will help Chelsea by providing stability by playing as a left winger.
Arsenal are also one of the clubs heavily linked with Williams. However, they already have quality players available on both flanks. Recently it has been reported that Paris Saint Germain have made an enquiry about Williams. PSG have lost their star man Kylian Mbappe for free. His departure has left a huge void in the squad. PSG view Williams as the player who can play on left wing. Although Nico is not on the level of Mbappe, he can certainly operate well on left flank.
Chelsea will find it hard to sign Williams
Chelsea’s path to sign Spanish youngster is filled with obstacles. The Premier League side has already made 7 signings in this window. Chelsea were on the verge of breaching the Premier League profitability and sustainability rules. However that doesn’t seem to stop them from signing top talents. The Blues are confident to be able to trigger Nico’s £50 million release clause.
However the problem is that Chelsea will not be able to provide Nico with Champions League football. In addition, the Blues even missed Europa League spot due to Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup final. All the other suitors of Williams will play in the Champions League. In addition, Athletic Bilbao are confident that Williams will stay with them.
On positive note, Williams shares a connection with Chelsea. His brother Inaki told The Guardian in 2021 that their father worked in a shopping centre near Chelsea and even worked as security guard who used to tear tickets at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will hope that Williams finds this as an incomplete story and moves to London for the fairytale finish.
However, as per now Chelsea are very behind in the race. FC Barcelona are leading the race to sign Williams. On the other hand Ernesto Valverde and Athletic Bilbao are confident that Williams will stay at the club. Nico Williams is currently on a well deserved vacation as an European Champion.
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