Guardiola ecstatic as Man City leapfrog Liverpool in heated race for LaLiga superstar
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola
Manchester City are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for highly-rated Athletic Bilbao attacker Nico Williams, who is a target for several top European clubs.
Pep Guardiola has already brought in some impressive signings this season such as Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes, but already has one eye on the January transfer window.
Man City have enjoyed a typically excellent start to the season. They have picked up 28 points from 12 matches so far, and sit top of the Premier League table.
Only three points separate first and fifth place, however, so the title race is far from over. As a result, Guardiola is eyeing players who he thinks have the quality to help get his team over the line.
Now, reports from Spain suggest that Man City have joined the race for Williams.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have registered an interest in the talented 21-year-old, while Chelsea are also known to be admirers of his.
Therefore, we could potentially see a several Premier League clubs battling for Williams’ signature in January.
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Athletic Bilbao scramble to secure Williams contract
Williams was in impressive form last season, notching nine goals and six assists across 43 games for Bilbao.
His goal contributions helped Athletic reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, which they lost to Osasuna, while the club also finished eighth in La Liga.
The youngster had a relatively slow start to the 2023/24 campaign. However, his form has ramped up in recent weeks, as he has managed one goal and three assists in his last three appearances, helping Athletic pick up seven points and score nine goals in that period.
Bilbao want to keep hold of Williams for as long as possible. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, however, and negotiations over a renewal are currently at a standstill.
Williams’ agent recently revealed that the LaLiga side are yet to officially offer an extension to his client – but are expected to soon.
As a stands, interested clubs will be able to open talks with Williams from January 1 over a pre-contract agreement, ahead of a free transfer at the end of the season.
Man City ‘in the lead’ for Williams
According to Spanish outlet AS, Barcelona, Real Madrid and ‘major’ Premier League sides are interested in signing Williams.
It’s claimed that the ‘Premier League’s big four’ are all interested in the winger. They also have an advantage over Barcelona, as the LaLiga side would only be able to afford to sign him on a free transfer and therefore couldn’t be dragged into a bidding war.
The report states that Man City are currently ‘in the lead’ to sign Williams, while Liverpool are also a team to watch.
As mentioned, Bilbao are determined to tie Williams down to a new deal. AS claim that the most feasible option for them is to extend his deal without raising his release clause, which currently stands at €50m (approx. £43.6m).
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the Basque team will be able to tie Williams down to a new deal before January. If they don’t, Man City will have the chance to convince him to make the switch to the Etihad next summer.
If Williams does sign a new deal, however, his suitors could still be able to sign him for €50m. Whether anyone would be willing to pay that fee, however, remains to be seen.
