Nico Williams release clause revealed as several clubs circle

Spain has arguably been the most impressive team at Euro 2024 so far. After all, the relatively young side has essentially dominated two formidable foes to start the tournament. La Roja initially began their competition with a convincing 3-0 victory against Croatia. They then topped reigning European champions Italy 1-0 on Thursday.

While the scoreline in the latter matchup was fairly close, Spain was by far the better team on the night. Both of their first two opponents at the tournament are currently ranked in FIFA’s top 10 at the moment. By winning their first two games, Luis de la Fuente’s team has already booked a place in the knockout round.

Spain may not have a real superstar on their roster just yet. Nevertheless, they are currently being led by two dynamic youngsters up front. Both Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams have lit up the pitch as wingers flanking established striker Alvaro Morata. Yamal, just 16, has received plenty of praise from soccer fans for his display in the tournament.

Williams, however, has perhaps flown a bit more under the radar. Despite the Barcelona youngster getting more attention, the 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao has certainly announced himself on the big stage.

At least four major European clubs reportedly interested in winger

LaLiga fans will undoubtedly already be quite aware of Williams. After all, the winger did manage to score eight goals and add 19 total assists in the most recent campaign. The stellar season has caught the attention of other top European clubs. Even before the start of Euro 2024, teams such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool were reportedly tracking the youngster.

Nevertheless, the attacker’s performances against Croatia and Italy could force the quartet to accelerate their transfer plans. While these teams, and likely many others, are interested in Nico Williams, the player’s release clause at Athletic has now been revealed.

According to Fabrizio Romano, any club wanting to purchase the winger will have to pay the Spanish side nearly $62 million. This fee was increased in recent weeks due to a fresh agreement between the player and his current club.

Despite the outside interest in the budding star, Athletic president Jon Uriarte remains calm over the situation. The exec recently claimed that Williams is happy in Spain and the club does not necessarily need to sell. “Nico is happy in Bilbao and we’re very happy with Nico,” stated Uriarte. “We’re focused on creating an attractive project for all our players, fighting for titles, and competing in Europe.”

“The club has room for economic maneuver to sign players. We had to be able to ensure that the investment did not penalize the expenses. We had to balance the accounts and boost the income.”

Release clause for Nico Williams resembles previous young playmakers

Uriarte and Athletic, however, do not exactly have full control of the situation. Because Williams, like every other LaLiga player, has a release clause in his contract, any other club can trigger a potential transfer. The only issue then remains if one of these big clubs feels $62 million is worth spending on the youngster.

Determining a player’s worth solely on a summer tournament is risky business. This was previously seen when a young Renato Sanches helped guide Portugal to glory at Euro 2016. The midfielder essentially dominated opponents on the way to lifting the trophy at the tournament, only for his value to plummet in recent seasons.

However, Williams has proven himself even before the tournament in Germany began. Although Athletic was more of a defensive team, Williams ranked highly in the Spanish top flight in several key offensive categories. This includes goal-creating actions (2nd), successful take-ons (2nd), progressive carries (4th), and shot-creating actions (7th).

The aforementioned release clause is also fairly close to several other deals involving attacking midfielders/wingers last summer. Mason Mount ($68 million), Christopher Nkunku ($64 million), Jeremy Doku ($64 million), and Brennan Johnson ($59 million) all cost similar fees ahead of the 2023/24 season.

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