- The Spanish International Extend Contract With Athletic Club.
Athletic Club are set to keep hold of one of their most talented forwards, with Nico Williams agreeing to stay at the club for at least another year.
As per Cadena Cope, Williams has agreed to sign a new two-year deal with Athletic. He only had a year left on his current deal, and his €50m release clause will be maintained, although it is taken as a clear indication that he will remain for at least one more season. Aston Villa were supposedly interested in bringing Williams to the Premier League this summer, as Unai Emery scours La Liga for its best talents.
Williams will have plenty of control over his future though, with the release clause still affordable for many top sides, and only an extra year on the end of his deal. It is specifically mentioned in the report that Williams did not want to run down his deal and leave for free though.
Normally Athletic try to tie down their star players to long-term deals, as was the case with Oihan Sancet, and place restrictive buyout clauses in their contracts. It seems clear that Williams was unwilling to relinquish control over his future, or Athletic were unable to offer him sufficient money to do so. In contrast to his brother Inaki, it appears Nico has far greater chances of leaving Bilbao down the line.
