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Athletic Club forward Nico Williams ‘rejected a proposal’ from Aston Villa this summer, despite them being happy to pay big to secure his signature.

Estadio Deportivo cover the player today and the Spanish side’s efforts to get him signed to a new deal, which is their main focus now that the transfer window has closed.

The newspaper explains that signing the player to a new deal is the ‘big movement’ for Athletic from here on in, with those in charge determined to get a contract signed to ward off ever growing interest in their star man.

That interest came to a head in the summer when Aston Villa made a concerted effort to get him to link up with Unai Emery.

According to Estadio, Williams ‘rejected a proposal’ from Villa, who were willing to pay his €50m release clause and offer him a contract worth €7m per season.

That was something reported all the way back in June, when it was claimed Aston Villa had made a ‘succulent’ offer to the player as they rebuilt their squad for a big season under Emery this year.

It seems, though, Williams wasn’t interested and made it clear that his intention had always been to continue his development at Athletic Club, despite the money on offer at Villa Park.