The whole of Spain must be smiling after the performances of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams so far in Euro 24.
With 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal on the other flank, Williams has terrorized Croatia and Italy as the Iberian side have firmly established themselves as team of the tournament so far.
However, Spain’s gain could be Bilbao’s loss and according to fichajes.net, the Basque club are now bracing themselves for a stampede to sign the 21 year old this summer.
Along with both Chelsea, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, United have been regularly linked with a move for Williams, whose release clause is a paltry €50 million (£42m).
At that price, and on his Euros showing so far, triggering the release clause is likely to be a no-brainer for Europe’s elite.
Fichajes say that Williams’ “ridiculous clause” is making “Athletic Club fans fear the worst.”
“Teams from the Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga have shown interest in the young prodigy, recognizing his potential to become a global star,” they continue.
“The combination of his youth, technical skills and international experience makes him an ideal candidate for any elite team.”
Whether United remain one of those Premier League teams is unclear.
One of Williams’ greatest assets is that he is equally adept on both wings, being employed more often on the right by Bilbao.
With more pressing matters on the agenda, including a centre back, central midfielder and striker, the Red Devils might consider it a luxury to move for a player whose position can be covered by Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Amad Diallo.
However, the likely departures of both Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood may leave United feeling they do need an extra body on the flanks, especially with the abhorrent form of Rashford and Antony last term.
The fact that they have also been heavily linked with Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, who now looks more likely to join Chelsea, suggests that maybe the case.
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