Athletic Hope To Retain Nico Williams Amid Barcelona, EPL Interest
Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde expressed hope that star winger Nico Williams will remain with the Basque club next season despite transfer interest from Barcelona, Arsenal, and Chelsea. The 22-year-old Spanish international is preparing for Athletic\'s Europa League semifinal first leg against Manchester United on Thursday.
\"Nico is a very important player for us, it\'s true,\" the Athletic Club head coach said. \"Having the season he had and winning the Euros with Spain had a big impact on him. There was speculation [last summer] but we hope he\'s in Athletic for many years.\"
Williams has emerged as one of La Liga\'s most coveted attacking talents. His performance this season has attracted attention from multiple European giants ahead of the summer transfer window.
Williams downplayed transfer speculation when asked about his future plans. The winger emphasized his commitment to the current campaign.
\"I don\'t want to look beyond that,\" Williams said. \"I have always wanted to play in the European competition and feel important. I am super happy here.\"
Via Rob Dawson/ESPN