ARSENAL and Chelsea are ready to fight for Spanish star Nico Williams this summer… but Barcelona already have the edge over the Premier League sides.
Athletic Bilbao striker Williams, 22, scored two and provided one assist for Luis de la Fuente’s men at Euro 2024.
two
This included the opening goal in Sunday’s final against England as Spain won 2-1 to clinch a record fourth European Championship.
Williams’ European star is coming off an excellent campaign for Bilbao, which saw him contribute eight goals and 19 assists in 37 appearances.
According to AtléticoSigning the winger would require the LaLiga club to pay his £49m release clause upfront.
Williams is high on Arsenal’s list of priorities, but it is understood that Mikel Arteta would need to sell players to finance the deal.
The Gunners have been linked with selling the likes of Kieran Tierney, Aaron Ramsdale, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.
Chelsea also remain enthusiastic about the fact that Williams has been monitoring him for some time.
However, they already have a number of options on the flanks – Mykhaylo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling to name a few.
And they are also aware that Barcelona appear to be favorites to sign Williams.
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Lamine Yamal, who occupied Spain’s other flank at the Euros and assisted Williams’ goal in the final, wants the Bilbao man to join him at Camp Nou.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta also made it clear that they could sign Williams.
He told radio station Catalunya Radio: “Today Barça could deal financially with a signing like Nico Williams.”
But it remains unclear whether Laporta’s claims are legitimate as it is widely known that Barcelona remain in a difficult financial position.
Inside Lamine Yamal’s brilliant and disconcerting story – from bathing Messi to doing homework while winning euros
LAMINE YAMAL has confirmed his status as football’s next superstar at Euro 2024 – but has only played 11-a-side matches for four years, writes Jack Rosser.
The incredible 16-year-old Spaniard scored the goal of the tournament so far against France as La Roja sealed their place in the final.
But his first five years at Barcelona’s academy were spent playing seven-a-side football, until he was aged 12 in 2020, when he finally got a chance in 11-a-side games.
Yamal’s story is baffling, brilliant and almost unbelievable in equal measure.
He is a boy with a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinea mother, who turned 17 the day before the Euro final and was cradled by football royalty at just six months old.
Stunning photos of Yamal as a baby being held and bathed by Messi, taken for a Barcelona charity calendar 16 years ago, resurfaced this week.
He hasn’t restricted his brush with greatness to Barcelona either, with images of Yamal as an academy player walking around as a mascot for Spain and Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos at an El Clasico in 2016.
There is a touch of destiny in this jewel, Spain’s “little MVP”, as his teammate Nico Williams nicknamed him.
Yamal has been doing his homework in his spare time and received his test results during the tournament. He passed, obviously.
He is now the youngest goalscorer at the Euros, also becoming the youngest player to start a major semi-final – taking the title from Pelé.
But it’s Yamal’s humble approach on and off the field that most impresses everyone he meets.
And French star Adrien Rabiot probably felt quite embarrassed as he boarded his plane back from Germany.
He tried to intimidate Yamal before the semi-final clash – telling Yamal he “needs to do more”.
Was that good enough then? Yamal responded with an unforgettable goal and a man-of-the-match performance.
A season that began with a pre-season game against Tottenham, where Yamal stood out but was overshadowed by Oliver Skipp, who scored two goals, will end on the biggest stage European football has to offer on Sunday.
Being overshadowed by Skipp and surpassing Pelé’s records isn’t a bad year’s work – imagine what he’ll do when he grows up.
Read all about Lamine Yamal’s incredible rise in full…
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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