Robin Bairner
Nico Williams, Athletic Club, transfer options
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Nico Williams remains one of the hottest transfer properties in the world, with many of Europe’s biggest sides fighting to sign the Athletic Club attacker.
Arsenal have been linked with a renewed assault on the player in 2025, but they are not alone. Fichajes claims that there are still seven teams vying to sign the forward.
The Gunners are among the names cited, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham from the Premier League said to be leading the race.
Beyond England, there is also interest, albeit it seems to be more of a monitoring stance from these other clubs. Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich are said to be the clubs watching developments.
But what team should Nico Williams sign for to get the best from this next stage of his blossoming career? FootballTransfers used SciSports’ Career Advice tool to take a look.
Nico Williams: The next step
Somewhat surprisingly, AC Milan come out on top as the best overall option for the 22-year-old. The Rossoneri achieve a Club Fit score of 73, which is calculated using a myriad of metrics, such as potential development, game time, playing style and formation.
While Nico Williams’ development at San Siro is somewhat questionable, Milan rank well in the other areas.
But a switch to Serie A simply does not appear on the cards. So of the realistic options, who comes out on top?
7. Barcelona
CLUB FIT: 62
Barcelona may have been favourites to land Nico Williams last summer, but he was wise to turn them down. Remarkably, a move to Camp Nou would be a poor decision for the sake of his career, SciSports claims.
In particular, there are questions over his ability to win regular first-team football. Given the form of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, this is perhaps not as far-fetched as it may seem.
Beyond that, Barcelona’s playing style is not expected to bring the best out of the Athletic Club star.
6. Manchester United
CLUB FIT: 63
Nico Williams has been shown several red flags over a move to Man Utd. Most importantly, SciSports question the Red Devils ability to develop his ability and also their playing style.
It’s worth noting that Ruben Amorim’s change in style and formation have not been taken fully into account yet, so the Red Devils’ rating could change dramatically in the weeks ahead.
Take this rating with a pinch of salt.
5. PSG
CLUB FIT: 63
There’s not much for Nico in Paris, according to SciSports, which suggests he would get plenty of playing time under Luis Enrique but not a great deal of success due to the rather measured buildup style of Les Parisiens.
With just one star for development, PSG really will have to give the winger the hard sell – and probably a heap of cash – to bring him to Parc des Princes.
4. Bayern Munich
CLUB FIT: 65
The perfect club for Nico Williams when it comes to developing his talent… but not for showing it.
The Euro 2024 star gets a five-star rating when it comes to progression at the Bundesliga side but also only one star for playing time and playing style.
3. Chelsea
CLUB FIT: 65
The Blues may have a myriad of wide attacking options, yet they are still linked with Nico Williams, who is a more refined player than those on their books.
Certainly, SciSports believes that he would get decent game time at Stamford Bridge but would suffer from Enzo Maresca’s playing style rather than the formation itself.
Development opportunities are limited, which should ring alarms at BlueCo given that this is meant to be their selling point for players.
2. Arsenal
CLUB FIT: 71
Arsenal offer significant competition, with a Club Fit of 71. The Gunners have been looking for a wide attacker to take some of the pressure off Bukayo Saka, and Williams would be an excellent fit.
While SciSports surprising has reservations about how much game time he would get in competition with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, Mikel Arteta’s playing style and formation suit him neatly.
1. Tottenham
CLUB FIT: 72
Tottenham actually lead the way, with a Club Fit score of 72, with Ange Postecoglou’s attacking mentality perfect for the Spaniard to flourish. Spurs score particularly well in terms of playing style and formation.
One question here would be how – if at all – Son Heung-min would fit into the team should Nico Williams arrive. He has primarily played off the left this season with Dominic Solanke through the centre. Out of contract in the summer, though, Son could be replaced by Nico.
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