Aston Villa have been linked to Nico Williams since the summer and with the January window coming up, the Villans appear to have been dealt a final blow.
The upcoming January transfer window poses a great opportunity for Aston Villa to add to their squad for the remainder of the season.
Two names that Unai Emery was clearly interested in were Nico and Inaki Williams from Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga.
Ollie Watkins is the only senior striker at the club right now. There is also a potential need for more depth in wide areas. This move made sense. Although a move couldn’t be sorted in the summer, a January double-swoop looked potentially possible.
It must be said that these would be very exciting signings. With recent reports, Villa fans may want to temper expectations.
What has Nico Williams said?
It had been reported earlier this month that contract negotiations between Williams and Bilbao had ‘stalled‘.
Now it seems like those reports have been proven wrong and the negotiations have moved along quite quickly in recent weeks. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, it appears that Williams’ mind is now made up on his future.
Discussing this, he said: “I’m happy here in Bilbao. Athletic fans can be relaxed, no worries.”
This won’t be music to Villa fans’ ears as the prospect of signing a youngster with Williams’ quality was exciting. But it looks like that’s all she wrote for the pursuit of his signature.
Given his versatility and his tender age, he appeared to be a perfect signing to help propel Villa forward. With a direct nature and ability to find the net as a squad player alongside players like Moussa Diaby, he would have been ideal.
With his ability on the ball and likeness to dribble at players, flying down the wing for Villa would have offered something new. Although the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo and Leon Bailey have that ability, Williams would bring that too.
He also looked like the kind of player that Emery was going to mould into a top talent. One criticism of him has been his defensive output at Bilbao and the Villa boss would add that to his game. No doubt.
Although it seems this deal is now off the table, there are plenty of other targets Villa can turn to. With reinforcements needed in most areas, the January window is likely to be a busy one. Fans can expect at least one forward of quality to be brought in this winter.
