Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams to the Premier League, according to reports.
What's the latest on Williams' future?
The Spanish international is an academy graduate at the San Mames Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team in 2021, where he’s since gone on to make 81 senior appearances.
However, the 20-year-old will be out of contract at the end of next season so the upcoming window will be Ernesto Valverde’s side’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to extend his stay further, and being their overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92, he won’t be short potential suitors.
The Athletic reported that the Magpies internally “discussed” a deal for the winger in January but nothing ever came to fruition, though it sounds like PIF and Eddie Howe are now ready to take a second bite of the cherry.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle have “added” Williams to their extensive “list” of targets ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Athletic Bilbao attacker is “in the mix” of summer candidates, alongside the likes of Leicester City’s James Maddison and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, and he is now the player the northeast outfit are “focusing” on after “bowing out” of the race for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby. The La Liga star has a £50m release clause included in his terms, but whether a cut-price deal would be available given his contract situation remains to be seen.
Would Williams be a good signing for Newcastle?
Newcastle will know that Williams is still relatively raw at a young age, but having already shown bags of potential and what he has to offer at the highest level, PIF would be recruiting a fantastic player should they successfully be able to secure his services in the summer.
The World Cup participant has 15 goal contributions (nine goals and six assists) in 39 appearances across all competitions this season with his high standard of performances having seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.
The Pamplona native, whose rise to professional football has been lauded “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also constantly looking to produce moments of magic even if he’s not always on the scoresheet.
As per FBRef, the winger has recorded 166 crosses and 97 shot-creating actions since the start of the campaign which are both higher than any other member of his squad, so for a forward who possesses this relentless threat in the final third, the hierarchy shouldn’t even have to think twice about completing a deal in the weeks and months ahead.