Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has revealed that he is attempting to convince Spain teammate Nico Williams to make the move to Chelsea during this summer's transfer window.
The 21-year-old has been one of the stars of Euro 2024, scoring once and providing one assist in three appearances to help La Roja reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Williams's future at club level is currently the subject of much speculation, with Athletic Bilbao facing a huge task when it comes to keeping hold of him this summer.
Barcelona are thought to be at the head of the queue for the forward, but there has also been suggestions of interest from the Premier League in the shape of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Chelsea, at this stage, are not being directly linked with Williams, but Cucurella has said that he has held conversations with his international teammate over a possible move to Stamford Bridge.
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Cucurella urging Williams to join Chelsea this summer
"He is a great player, he is bringing out all his potential," Cucurella told Sport. "It is a source of pride that he is on our team, that he is our teammate and with players like him everything is easier.
"He would be a great signing [for Barcelona], but it all depends on what he wants.
"I've been telling him to sign for Chelsea. In the end everything depends on him, he is very young, with a lot of experience. I think he will be a great player."
Williams scored eight goals and registered 19 assists in 37 appearances for Athletic during a standout 2023-24 campaign, while he has managed 20 goals and 26 assists in 122 games for the Basque outfit in total.
The forward signed a new contract at San Mames last year, but there is believed to be a release clause of around €55m (£47m) in the agreement.
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Which club will win the race for Williams?
Considering the current market, €55m (£47m) is not a lot of money for a player of Williams's ilk, and there is set to be a scramble for his services during the summer market.
The Spaniard is believed to favour a move to Barcelona over any other club, but it remains to be seen whether the Catalan outfit can come up with the funds due to their well-documented financial problems.
A recent report claimed that Hansi Flick's side would be willing to sell both Ronald Araujo and Raphinha to ensure that a deal for Williams goes through this summer.
However, a switch to the Premier League simply cannot be ruled out due to the division's financial power.
For now, Williams is just focused on matters at the European Championship, and he will be bidding to help Spain navigate their way to the semi-finals in Friday's mouthwatering last-eight contest with tournament hosts Germany.
Matt Law
