Athletic Club Bilbao star Nico Williams is the ‘No.1 target’ for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery in the summer, according to Marca on Wednesday.
The Villans, at the insistence of their coach, were keen on signing the winger in January but he wanted to wait until the end of last season to make a decision on his future. With a deal expiring in 2024, he’s received a renewal offer from the La Liga side.
It’s claimed the 20-year-old seems ‘close to packing his bags and leaving for Aston Villa’, rather than signing a new deal at Athletic.
Marca say the Premier League side have offered him a deal around €7m per year, which is well above what the Basque club can propose.
The former Arsenal manager has shifted his focus to the Spain international after losing out on Marco Asensio, who’s set to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The newspaper’s title reads: ‘Emery wants to sign Nico’. Within the report, it’s claimed Aston Villa are willing to go all out to secure his services.
Williams has to make a critical decision for his career. The report states he has started his vacation knowing that he must choose between continuing in Bilbao or starting a new adventure at Aston Villa.
His decision is now awaited. Williams finished the 2022/23 season with nine goals and six assists from 43 games.
