Chelsea lost 2-0 to Newcastle United at St. James' Park in the Premier League on Sunday, but they could still have a successful end to the 2024/25 campaign.
The Blues are fifth in the league, on course to qualify for the Champions League, and are in the final of the Conference League after their semi-final success over Djurgarden.
Enzo Maresca and the board, however, already have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window, as the club have reportedly held talks to sign a LaLiga star.
Chelsea at the front of the queue to sign LaLiga star
According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are one of the teams eyeing up a deal to sign Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, and they have already held talks with his representatives over a move to Stamford Bridge.
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The report claims that the Blues have had meetings with the player's camp to convince him to make the move to England, but he is unwilling to make a final decision until the end of the season.
It also reveals that Arsenal and Chelsea are the two teams at the 'front of the queue' to land the Spain international, who is also of interest to Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
Possessing a reported release clause of £48m, it's not a move that would totally break the bank, which is certainly good news.
Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams celebrates scoring their third goal
If Williams does decide to move on from Athletic Club this summer, Maresca's side appear to be well-positioned to swoop in, which should come as great news for Cole Palmer.
Why Nico Williams would be amazing with Cole Palmer
The Chelsea superstar would surely love it if the club signed the Spanish winger because they could be amazing together at the top end of the pitch next season and beyond.
Chelsea-Nico-Williams-Spain
Palmer, as evidenced by the 38 'big chances' he has created in the Premier League since the start of last season, is an attacking midfielder who is constantly looking for a defence-splitting pass to create chances for his teammates.
Williams is a winger who has shown that he can finish chances effectively in LaLiga and in the Europa League this term, which suggests that he could make the most of the high-quality opportunities that the England international consistently creates.
Nico Williams (24/25) LaLiga Europa League
Starts 21 12
xG 3.84 2.85
Goals 5 5
Big chances missed 2 2
Assists 5 2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Spanish sensation has outperformed his xG in both competitions, whilst only missing four 'big chances' in 33 matches.
These statistics suggest that he has the finishing quality to find the back of the net on a consistent basis if provided with the constant stream of 'big chances' that Palmer has proven he can create at Premier League level.
Williams, who was dubbed a "relentless" dribbler by analyst Ben Mattinson, would also come in as another young talent with room to improve at the age of 22, which means that the Spaniard and Palmer, 23, could be an exciting pairing for Chelsea for many, many, more year to come.
It is now down to the Blues to win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window because his electric pace and lethal finishing could make him an amazing partner for their creative maestro in the Premier League next season.
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