Manchester City have entered the race to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao next summer.
The Citizens are enduring a torrid period with the club’s 2-0 loss to Juventus on Wednesday extending their run to one win in 10 games. Plans are already being made to refresh the squad and Williams is a name high on the wanted list.
The 22-year-old was one of the stars of the European Championship in the summer, where he scored in Spain’s final win over England.
Despite interest from leading clubs, he remained at Athletic Bilbao for the 2024/25 campaign. The La Liga outfit look unlikely to keep the winger beyond the summer, however, due to a €58m release clause in his contract.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Manchester City have “burst into the race to sign him”.
Jack Grealish has been tentatively linked with an exit from the Etihad, while neither Jeremy Doku or Savinho have found consistency in their performances. Williams would inject new life into the City attack, though the Blues could face competition from clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
This week, Jose Mourinho lavished praise on the player and urged Williams to reject interest from the Premier League. The Fenerbahce manager outlined his hope that the winger would join his former side, Real Madrid.
“Nico is wonderful,” Mourinho said.
“At the last Euros, everyone was talking about Yamal, Yamal, Yamal… who is obviously another fantastic young player.
“But personally, I prefer Nico. He is a fantastic footballer. One cannot think that a Turkish club could sign him. I hope he ends up at Real Madrid.”
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