Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been dealt a blow in their efforts to sign Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams.
Although just the age of 21, Williams has established himself as arguably his club's most important player through his contributions in the final third.
A total of 18 goals and 21 assists have come from 115 appearances in all competitions, with the winger also earning recognition with Spain.
In terms of this campaign, Williams has posted six strikes and 14 assists from just 30 outings, eight of which came in the Copa del Rey, a competition that Bilbao won at the weekend.
As a result, Ernesto Valverde's side will be competing in Europe next season, but their target is the Champions League given that they sit in fifth place in La Liga and just two points adrift of fourth.
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Premier League interest
Williams possesses a release clause in the region of £43m, making him an obvious option for Premier League clubs wishing to invest in one of the world's up-and-coming stars.
Each of Chelsea and Spurs are said to hold an interest in activating the option in his contract, the former reportedly having already indicated a willingness to do so.
However, according to Sport, Williams will need some tempting to depart Estadio San Mames in order to make the move to English football.
The report claims that he has his sights set on eventually joining Barcelona, more likely in 2025 than the next transfer window.
With Bilbao guaranteed continental football next season, it is alleged Williams could choose to spend a further season at his current club.
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Can Barcelona afford to sign Williams?
In the short term, the simple answer is no. Barcelona must make substantial cutbacks in the summer due to a reduced wage cap and resolving that is their priority.
Furthermore, everything has pointed to trying to extend the stays of Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix, who are on loan from Manchester City and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Williams is reportedly very much on their radar for 2025, though, and another year to make improvements to their finances and returning to the renovated Camp Nou can help matters.
With a contract until 2027, Williams and Bilbao could realistically continue their relationship for a further 12 months with the acceptance that a transfer will happen at the conclusion of that campaign.
