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Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams is in a strange situation with his contract and a potential free transfer away in the summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Romano explained that Chelsea had an interest in Williams in the summer, secretly targeting him as an alternative to Cole Palmer.
However, when it became apparent that Manchester City would give the green light for Palmer to leave, Chelsea signed him as their priority instead, so it remains to be seen if they’d still have an interest in Williams.
Still, the Spain international is heading towards being a free agent at the end of this season, so there could be an opportunity for the Blues, while Romano has also acknowledged links with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Athletic Bilbao are yet to offer Williams a new deal, so Chelsea and other clubs might want to keep an eye on the 21-year-old as a bargain opportunity next summer.
Nico Williams celebrates a goal for Athletic Bilbao
“We saw some interesting words from the agent of Nico Williams. The Athletic Bilbao star is one of the most talented wingers around Europe with his pace and his ability to score and assist, and we’ve unsurprisingly seen him linked with some big clubs because I think he’s a really underrated talent with big potential,” Romano said.
“So what’s the situation? His agent Felix Tainta has made it clear that his client doesn’t want to leave on a free transfer, but at the moment they are yet to receive a contract proposal from Athletic Bilbao.
“It’s November, almost December, and nothing is agreed, so it’s a dangerous situation for Athletic and they have to be fast. Williams is out of contract at the end of the season and in January he can agree a deal for next season as a free agent. The idea was to continue on a long-term contract with a release clause of €50m, so let’s see what happens there.”
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He added: “From what I’m hearing Real Madrid and Barcelona have sent their scouts to follow the player, but as of yet no one has sent a…
Source link : https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/11/15/chelsea-transfer-news-nico-williams-strange-situation/
Author : Mark Brus
Publish date : 2023-11-15 08:33:00
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