The Spanish international has given a clear indication around his future amid speculation he could make a move to the Premier League this summer
Athletic Bilbao and Spain forward Nico Williams have claimed he won’t entertain any transfer speculation about his future, as both Arsenal and Chelsea hold interest in the star.
Both Premier League rivals are said to want to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners hoping that more threats going forward will help them close the gap to reigning champions Manchester City after losing out on the league title to Pep Guardiola’s men by just two points.
The addition of Kai Havertz last summer was proven to be the correct choice as the German international’s 13 goals and seven assists was a huge boost in terms of firepower, numbers which saw him only finish behind the ever-reliable pair of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard in terms of goal involvements over the season.
Chelsea, on the other hand, enjoyed a less successful season in front of goal, with Nicolas Jackson only really coming into his stride towards the latter half of the season with much of the heavy lifting under Mauricio Pochettino being done by 21-year-old standout Cole Palmer who netted 25 goals and 15 assists across all competitions for the Blues last season.
Raheem Sterling was the only other Chelsea star to reach double-digit goals, with Conor Gallagher and Malo Gusto both leading the way in the assist column behind Palmer. The Blues have already looked to shore up their attacking options in the future, having signed Estevao Willian, who will arrive at Stamford Bridge next summer, and are looking to finalise moves for Barcelona star Marc Guiu and Aston Villa youngster Omari Kellyman.
Both clubs have been said to hold significant interest in Williams, though, after his eight goals and 19 assists across all competitions last season caught the eyes of many of European football’s top clubs. The 21-year-old does have a release clause of £49 million available in his contract, but prospective buyers will have the tough challenge of convincing him to leave Bilbao, where he has played since he was a boy.
Williams has already spoken about the rumours surrounding him and his future in Spain, and claims he’ll be leaning on the shoulder of his older brother Inaki Williams to help him focus on his task at hand with Spain at the ongoing European Championships this summer. Talking to Spanish radio station RNE, he said: ” [The transfer speculation] is hard to deal with, because everyone is constantly asking you what you’re going to do with your future.
“I’m a 21-year-old kid who just wants to play football. I have already said that Athletic is my home. I only recently renewed my contract. I am very happy.
“[Inaki] has already experienced it. He had his moment many years ago with rumours from the outside. He knows what it’s like; he knows how you suffer, and he knows what has to be done.”
Both sides will likely now pivot to other choices on their radars, with Arsenal having been linked to a number of forwards, including Viktor Gyokeres, Ivan Toney, Alexander Isak, and Victor Osimhen, after RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko committed to another season in the Bundesliga earlier this month.
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