Athletic Bilbao president Jon Uriarte has called for ‘respect’ for the club amid ongoing speculation surrounding the future of Nico Williams.
Williams is set to be at the centre of transfer rumours this summer after starring for Spain at this summer’s European Championship. The 21-year-old has had an influential role in Spain’s run to the final of Euro 2024, where La Roja will take on England in Berlin on Sunday.
The winger’s eye-catching performances have led to continued speculation over his future, with a number of Premier League clubs and Barcelona chasing a deal.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta last week went public in his side’s interest in signing the Spaniard and insisted the Catalans have the financial power to match Williams’ release club, rumoured to be around £46m, at The San Mamés Stadium.
“I like Nico, a lot. I can say that financially we can make it happen,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.
“It’s result of work that has been done over all these years to reach this point. We could, of course, face a signing of this level.”
Uriarte, however, has insisted that Athletic are capable of keeping their best talent and called for respect for his side amid the transfer talk surrounding the club’s top talent.
“Nico, a footballer very committed to Athletic Club, has been subjected to a bombardment of questions about his future in an excessive and uncontrolled manner, when he is concentrated to compete in the Euro Cup by the Spanish Football Federation, which has not known how to protect him,” Uriarte said at a press conference.
“Respect between all the actors that make up football is a fundamental basis, or that is how we conceive it at Athletic Club, which does not have the formula of subjecting players with contracts to other clubs to public pressure to try to incorporate them.
“Athletic aspires to the maximum, without limits. We are showing that we have an attractive and winning project for our players and coach. The proof is that we have recently renewed two of our internationals, Simón (2029) and Vivian (2031), Nico “He signed last year until 2027, and coveted players such as Sancet, Prados, Julen Agirrezabala, and Paredes have also been committed for several seasons, to give some examples.
“Athletic Club is economically, socially and sportingly capable of keeping footballers of the caliber of those named in its structure, including Nico Williams.”
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