Nico Williams is being pursued by Barcelona as their top summer target following his outstanding Euro 2024 performance. But Williams signed a new contract with Athletic in December that runs until 2027 and has a $63 million release clause.
Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde contends that Williams is happy with the club and that the left winger will remain with the club.
\"We are counting on Nico to return to training in August,\" Valverde said. \"He\'s happy with us and we are happy with him. We want the best players. It\'s going to be an exciting season for everyone as we return to the Europa League. We have a really good team and we want to improve it. We want to compete in every competition. I am sure he loves the challenges we have in front of us; he is happy here.\"
In 29 LaLiga matches last season, Williams scored five goals to go with 11 assists and had a WhoScored rating of 7.16. Williams ranked second in LaLiga in dribbles per match at 2.8.