Among Chelsea’s transfer targets this summer is Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao, a winger who has been a key target for the Blues. Following their disappointment in Michael Olise—who, despite transfer delays, seems certain to join Bayern Munich—Chelsea have turned their attention to the 21-year-old winger.
Williams recently wowed with a spectacular goal in Spain’s Round of 16 encounter against Georgia at Euro 2024. A number of teams are interested in signing him this summer due to his impressive performance; this is particularly true given that his release clause is set at €58 million (£49.2 million).
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Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona are reportedly among the clubs interested in Williams. In instance, Chelsea have taken a bold step by offering £25 million in addition to an undisclosed player as part of a partial swap deal. It would be more difficult to implement this possible trade due to Athletic Bilbao’s stringent Basque-only transfer policy. There aren’t many goalkeepers who meet this criteria; however, Unai Simon is already a good starter for Bilbao, so a trade including Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is quite doubtful.
So, in order to get Williams, Chelsea could have to pay the whole release clause. Chelsea is determined to persuade Williams to quit Bilbao, even though he has expressed contentment at the La Liga club in interviews. Chelsea is reportedly planning to pay Williams a salary of €15–20 million. It would be more than £320,000 per week, according to the Spanish news site Sport. His present yearly pay is €7.8 million, and this offer more than doubles it—a sum that Barcelona just cannot match.
The matter:
Williams would surpass Raheem Sterling in weekly earnings (£325,000) as Chelsea’s second-highest earner if the transfer is finalised. Chelsea is certain that they have a good chance of signing Williams with this big offer. Nevertheless, the club’s capacity to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability regulations is called into doubt by this decision. Noncompliance might result in point punishments.
An ambitious Chelsea is on display in the transfer market with their interest in Williams. Their track record of lavishly spending to get their goals is mirrored in the probable acquisition of Williams. Williams is highly sought after by Arsenal and Barcelona, which intensifies the rivalry to get his signing. The transfer window is winding down. Everyone is waiting to see if Chelsea can seal the deal for Williams. Their readiness to pay Williams a hefty sum shows how serious they are, but it is unclear whether this will be enough to entice him away from Bilbao. Chelsea supporters are waiting impatiently for news on this possible marquee acquisition, and the position Williams will play in next season will be decided in the coming weeks.
