Athletic Club Bilbao president Jon Uriarte has admitted they know nothing of interest from Aston Villa in forward Nico Williams.
Uriarte had been speaking to DAZN, relayed by AS, ahead of his side’s game with Barcelona at the Camp Nou yesterday, which they eventually lost 1-0.
Williams remains the focus of most attention at the club at this moment in time as they continue their efforts to get him signed up to a new deal.
His current contract expires next summer and that’s led to consistent speculation about his future as he’s free to start pre-contract negotiations with other clubs in Europe from January 1st under the Bosman ruling.
Aston Villa are one of the clubs believed to be keen on him, having tried to sign him in January and then again in the summer, when Unai Emery even met him in a hotel to discuss a potential move.
It seems, though, Uriarte isn’t concerned and insists he knows nothing about Aston Villa or anybody’s else’s apparent interest.
“It is a very recurring theme, from Bilbao we have peace of mind,” he said.
“We want an attractive project for Nico and other players, as with another puppy Unai Gómez, whom we have renewed this week (until 2028).
“We trust that Nico will find the project attractive, and we think that’s how it’s going to be. His family is loyal to Athletic, it is the best for his career. As for possible rumors, we have no idea.”
Uriarte’s confidence is shared by Sport, who say that ‘everything indicates’ that Williams will indeed sign a new contract at Athletic sooner rather than later.
His plan is to sign an extension for a couple of season that will only include a small increase to his €50m release clause so that a move to a bigger club in the future is not made completely impossible.
He knows that a move to the Premier League, or Barcelona, is more than possible for him in future if he maintains his current progression and doesn’t want to put any impediments in the way. Whether Aston Villa will still be in the picture remains to be seen.
