Spain's Nico Williams serves notice - his €55m release clause looks a transfer bargain (2024)

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“This is going to be a nice gift for my mum!”

That was how Spain winger Nico Williams reacted to being handed the man of the match award after his role in La Roja’s 1-0 win against Italy.

It was the night the 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao forward introduced himself on football’s global stage — something his mother Maria could hardly have imagined 31 years ago when she was illegally crossing the Melilla fence, a 10-metre-tall metallic barrier that separates Spain from Morocco in the north African Spanish city of the same name.

“My parents left Ghana and crossed the Sahara desert barefoot to get to Spain,” was how Nico’s brother Inaki Williams, who also plays for Athletic, put it in an interview with The Guardian last year.

The Williams brothers’ parents initially planned to travel to the United Kingdom in search of a better life. But a family friend told them things would be more affordable in Spain. They established themselves in the northern city of Bilbao in the Basque Country, where Inaki was born in 1994. Eight years later, Nico arrived in nearby Pamplona. Both are now star players for Athletic, a club with a unique policy of only using Basque players.

PURO CINE JR 🔥🤩 STARBOY💫

— IÑAKI WILLIAMS (@Williaaams45) June 20, 2024

The winger’s display against Italy will not have come as a surprise to any fan of Spanish football. The way Williams tore apart the Azzurri defence — and Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo in particular — was the same thing he did to defences all season for Athletic, registering 27 goal contributions (eight goals, 19 assists) in all competitions.

Williams dribbled past Di Lorenzo with ease a few times in the first 10 minutes. He set up Pedri for a header in the early stages before sending Spain’s best chance of the first half wide after a pinpoint cross from Alvaro Morata. But the storm had just started.

Di Lorenzo was struggling so much that Italy boss Luciano Spalletti acted at half-time, introducing Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso to double up in defence. It took Williams nine minutes to get away from both of them, take a look up and send a cross into the box that deflected off centre-back Riccardo Calafiori and into the net.

Spain could not add to that 1-0 scoreline despite their dominance, which felt like a merciful outcome for Spalletti’s side.

“I think it’s the best performance since I’ve been here,” Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said. “At least, the most complete one. I can’t praise Spanish talent enough. We are the best in the world at reading different registers of the game. This is a remarkable generation of players.”

There was a lot of hype around Spain’s up-and-coming wingers ahead of this European Championship in Germany. De la Fuente placed high hopes on them as his team’s biggest attacking threats.

Williams had been quiet in the 3-0 win against Croatia, with the spotlight instead on the record-breaking 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. But he stepped out onto the pitch in Gelsenkirchen as if he were on a mission to tell the world why he is a justified starter for De la Fuente.

Beyond the Euros, this will be a huge summer for Williams. He signed a three-year contract extension last December with Athletic, with his salary upgraded to reflect his progress from an academy graduate to a star in the making. But his release clause remained practically untouched.

Athletic refuse to comment on any figures, but industry sources say Williams’ release clause is in the region of €55million ($59m; £47m) — and anyone from a leading club who saw last night’s game would surely be tempted to trigger it.

Unsurprisingly, rumours about his future have been relentless. The list of clubs Williams has been linked with is long, and his performance against Italy won’t help Athletic’s chances of keeping their electric winger.

“I’ve seen reports talking about my future, but honestly I have no clue of anything,” Williams said in an interview last week. “Right now, I want to focus on the Euros and nothing else.

“I am so happy in Bilbao, I signed a new deal and performed well last season. I feel at home, but I don’t know what I will do. Nobody can tell you about the future.”

That seemed to leave the door open to any possible transfer — with Barcelona interested in him. Sporting director Deco wants to sign a winger and Williams fits the bill as a player who is young, versatile and has the potential to become world-class. But his links with Barca go beyond the pitch.

Williams is surrounded by Blaugrana players at Spain’s base camp in the German Black Forest town of Donaueschingen. Pedri and Fermin Lopez are two of his biggest PlayStation rivals at the Der Oschberghof Hotel, where the national team are staying. His best friend in the squad is Yamal, who he has grown close with after being roommates with him on past trips.

“Yes, I spoke with Lamine,” Williams said after the Italy game. “I told him he has to learn from his daddy, which is me! I’m kidding. He is a great kid, I have a special bond with him and I hope he can get a man of the match award like this at some point.”

Yamal has not hidden his love for his team-mate either — or how Williams signing for Barcelona would be a dream.

“We got along so well since my first day with the national team, and that bond has kept going until today,” the teenager said last week.

“If I could sign a player from the national team for Barcelona? Nico Wiliams, for sure. He is one of those wingers who take you on and get past you. He is daring and talented, which helps any team in the world. I have a lot of fun playing with him as I think it helps us be tougher to defend.”

As usual with Barcelona, things aren’t easy. They cannot afford his signing as things stand, as they first need to fill a €130million hole in their accounts before the end of the month. If that’s fixed, then Barca will need to make a significant sale before considering a signing of this magnitude.

Given his close circle in the national team and how Yamal has made his love for Williams public, it’s easy to picture them in their hotel discussing what life would be like at Barcelona.

But they are not Williams’ only suitors. As The Athletic reported this month, clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea also have the winger on their wish list.

Mikel Arteta sees him as one of his preferred options if Arsenal decide to go for a wide player this summer. Chelsea may be tempted to make even more of an effort after seeing how well Williams combined with their left-back Marc Cucurella against Italy. Liverpool has also been discussed as a potential destination if a winger is needed for Arne Slot’s new project.

Whoever meets his clause is unlikely to regret it. With his talent and the platform he has been given at this Euros, €55m looks like a steal for Williams.

(Top photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Pol joined The Athletic in 2021, initially moving to Manchester to assist us with our Manchester City, Manchester United and Spanish reporting. Since 2015 he has been an English football correspondent for multiple Spanish media, such as Diario Sport and RAC1 radio station. He has also worked for The Times. In 2019, he co-wrote the book Pep’s City: The Making of a Superteam. He will now move back to Spain, covering FC Barcelona for The Athletic. Follow Pol on Twitter @polballus