Chelsea wants Bilbao starlet but may have to sell players first

Chelsea is targeting Nico Williams during the upcoming transfer period. The Athletic Bilbao star is one of the most promising young left-wingers in all of Europe. As a result, the Blues will be far from the only team to have an interest in signing the playmaker.

Arsenal and Liverpool have both recently been linked with a possible summer move for Williams. The 21-year-old has racked up six goals and 11 assists in 27 total appearances with the Spanish side so far this season.

Bilbao, clearly seeing the potential in the budding star, recently rewarded Williams with a new contract. The deal extends the player’s contract until 2027 and makes him one of the top earners at the club. According to Capology, Williams now rakes in over $200,000 per week in the fresh agreement.

Despite the new contract in place, reports claim that Athletic Club inserted a fairly manageable release clause into the agreement. ESPN is reporting that this figure is around $55 million. Although this is still a large sum of money, the top teams across Europe can afford such a fee for a potential superstar in the making.

Chelsea to receive significant funds to open the door for Nico Williams

Nevertheless, Chelsea now finds themselves in a precarious financial situation at the moment. The club recently revealed that they reported a pre-tax loss of almost $115 million for the 2022/23 season. This particular timeframe ended on June 30th, 2023, before massive deals for players such as Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Cole Palmer.

The financial hit comes after the west London side also declared a loss of $154 million during the previous year. These figures now place the club in a difficult position regarding the Premier League‘s profit and sustainability laws. Current rules state that clubs cannot record losses exceeding $133 million during a three-year stretch.

As a result of these issues, Chelsea may have to sell a series of players before buying new stars. Several key players, including regular starter Conor Gallagher, may be on the chopping block. However, the Blues look set to start the summer with several moves seemingly in place.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has recently claimed that his club will soon sign Lewis Hall. The Chelsea youngster is currently on loan with the Magpies, but the northeast team will trigger the $35 million permanent deal. Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Roma, also has a $47 million release clause as well.

Other Premier League clubs set to test Chelsea’s position regarding asking prices

Potentially making moves to purchase a player like Williams is certainly feasible for Chelsea. However, other clubs are well aware of the current situation with the Blues and will likely make things difficult for the west London team.

Chelsea has a recent history of taking a hard line regarding the selling price of their players. They typically hold steady and attempt to receive exactly what they believe to be fair in deals.

Nevertheless, fellow Premier League clubs are going to assess this position in the coming months. Teams know that the Blues are enduring tough financial times and may be willing to bend their asking prices to help appease the league’s financial laws.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.