da bwin： An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in Nico Williams ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
da heads bet： According to Spanish outlet AS, via Sport Witness, the Villans are one of two Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Athletic Bilbao forward at the end of the season.
The report claims that Unai Emery’s side and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have both tested the ground ahead of a possible swoop to sign the Spain international ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
It is stated that the flanker has a €50m (£45m) release clause in his contract, which expires in 2024, and that the attacker has been ‘loyal’ to his current club so far.
Leon Bailey upgrade
Emery could land an upgrade on current Villa winger Leon Bailey by beating the Reds to the signing of the Bilbao star in the summer window.
The Jamaican has been a regular starter for the club in the Premier League this season but has struggled to deliver consistently impressive performances out wide.
In 17 top-flight starts, the attacker has delivered four goals and two assists and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.68, which places him 16th in the squad.
Bailey has been far from one of Villa’s top performers in the division this term and has not done enough in the final third to prove that he can be a consistent threat in the final third.
Williams, however, who is five years younger than the Villans forward, has enjoyed a better campaign in LaLiga with Athletic Bilbao as the 20-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 and provided three goals and five assists, whilst also scoring three times and assisting one in five cup appearances.
This means that the gem, whose “phenomenal” form was hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig earlier this term, has racked up six goals and six assists in 25 appearances – compared to Bailey’s five goals and two assists in 23 games for Villa in all competitions – and could offer a greater attacking threat for Emery’s side.
The Spanish dynamo has also averaged more progressive carries, successful take-ons, and progressive passes per 90 than Bailey over the last 365 days, proving he is an incredibly direct individual.
It also suggests that the Bilbao man could offer more to Villa’s build-up play by getting the ball up the pitch from deeper positions, dribbling past players or breaking lines to find teammates in promising areas.
Therefore, Williams could be an upgrade on the former Bayer Leverkusen man, both in terms of his role in the build-up and his consistency in the final third, whilst also having five more years of development to go through, which is why Emery must sign the forward this summer.