Aston Villa bid for Nico Williams ‘fails’ after transfer news emerges
Aston Villa have seen their bid for Nico Williams fall through, with the winger now close to signing a deal to keep him at Athletic Bilbao, according to 90min.
Williams has just 12 months remaining on his current contract, and reports suggested he was temped by a move to Villa Park, but is keen to remain in the Basque Country for “at least another season”, and is now close to agreeing a two-year contract extension.
Villa had opened talks with Williams earlier this month, and were reportedly very keen on pushing the deal through despite his high release clause, set at around £43million.
Villa are aiming high
Missing out on players like Williams is fine, and shows Villa have high standards in their recruitment, having previously missed out on Marco Asensio who is nearing a move to PSG, according to Fabrizio Romano.
These players are the types that get fans excited, and show serious ambition from Villa, who have made their intentions clear in this transfer window – they want big players, big names, and to spend big money.
This news comes following a report that Villa are closing in on signing Pau Torres, another Spanish international, and another clear statement of intent from the midlands club.
Nico Williams would’ve been the exact type of player Villa need, a pacy and direct winger to take on his man and give them a new dimension to what their current wide players offer, but missing out on any player this early in the transfer window is no disaster, with plenty of time to get further deals done.
In other Aston Villa news, a pundit has predicted an Ollie Watkins exit could be on the cards