Robin Bairner
Nico Williams, Athletic Club, 2024/25
© IMAGO
Nico Williams future could be decided imminently, with Manchester City reportedly ‘bursting’ onto the scene to sign the Athletic Club winger.
Having starred at Euro 2024 for Spain, Nico was linked with a transfer to a string of major sides, with Barcelona leading the way from Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG for a player available for a bargain €58 million due to a release clause in his contract.
The 22-year-old ultimately chose to stay in Bilbao for an additional year but there is a new heavyweight contender to sign him in 2025 in the form of Manchester City, according to Fichajes.
The Etihad Stadium side are in the midst of a period of unprecedented crisis, with just one win coming in their last 10 matches. Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, with their overreliance on Erling Haaland offensively now being seen as a major point of weakness.
Nico Williams would help alleviate this issue and reports from Spain indicate that City have “burst into the race to sign him”.
It points out that financially, City are in a strong position to beat off competition from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea largely because of the wage packet they can offer the player.
Nico Williams, Athletic Club
© IMAGO - Nico Williams, Athletic Club
Man City’s plan? Nico Williams in, Jack Grealish out
Nico Williams would give Manchester City the type of attacking quality that they are presently lacking.
Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku have primarily been deployed on the left wing, but both are lacking in consistency, while the former’s last goal for the club came on 16 December, 2023. Indeed, Grealish has supplied just three goals and five assists since the beginning of last term across all competitions.
Even without firing on all cylinders since Euro 2024, Williams is just one goal short of these figures this season alone with Athletic Club.
Grealish, therefore, finds his place at the club under threat.
Nico Williams vs LaLiga wingers: 2024/25
Data analytics experts SciSports rate Williams as one of the best wingers in LaLiga this season, even if he has not been as decisive as he was last term, when he scored five and generated 14 assists in the league alone.
Interestingly, though, Doku is considered to have more potential than the Pamplona-born star.
With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €51.6m, he would still represent strong value for Man City’s misfiring squad and is surely player worth a gamble as they seek to improve their attacking depth.
Read more about: La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Arsenal, Athletic, Barcelona, Chelsea, Man City, PSG, Jack Grealish, Jérémy Doku, Nico Williams