Athletic Club president delivers firm update on Nico Williams future

The president of Athletic Club has claimed Nico Williams is happy at the club as interest in his services mount amid his star turns for Spain at Euro 2024.

The 21-year-old winger, the younger brother of club teammate Inaki, caught the eye on Thursday night with a stellar display during his nation's 1-0 win over Italy.

He has been linked with a number of elite sides in Europe, with Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal admitting he would love his Roja teammate to join him in Catalonia. Premier League teams Chelsea and Aston Villa were also chasing a deal for Williams before being put off by his wage demands.

Nevertheless, Williams is expected to be targeted by interested clubs during the summer transfer window, but Athletic president Jon Uriarte revealed he is paying no attention to the speculation surrounding the impressive forward.

He said: "We have impressive talent in the squad. When things are like this, it's normal that there are players who arouse interest, but we're not here to talk about rumours.

"Nico is happy in Bilbao and at Athletic and we're very happy with Nico. We don't worry about or pay attention to rumours. We're focused on creating an attractive project for all our players, fighting for titles and competing in Europe.

"The club has room for economic manoeuvre to sign players. We had to be able to ensure that the investment did not penalise the expenses. We had to balance the accounts and boost the income.

"That has been our way of acting. At the club we are always aware of what is on the market and identify opportunities."

Williams scored five goals and supplied 11 assists for his teammates in La Liga last season, helping Athletic finish fifth in Spain's top flight.

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