Aston Villa: £45m star could move in the summer amid interest at Villa Park | OneFootball

Aston Villa have found it ‘complicated’ to bring Athletic Bilbao striker Nico Williams to Villa Park this month and could revive their interest ‘in the summer’, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has informed GIVEMESPORT.

Unai Emery is still keen on late reinforcements before the deadline and the 20-year-old has been a target throughout January, following some brilliant displays for club and country this term.

Aston Villa Transfer News – Nico Williams

Earlier this month, The Daily Mail reported that Aston Villa had ended up frustrated in their attempts to land Williams from Athletic Bilbao, in a move that would’ve made the Spain international their record signing.

The Clarets were prepared to trigger his £45 million release clause to try and speed up negotiations, while a wage of £120,000 was on the table to try and lure him to the Premier League this window.

Despite this, Williams is said to have rejected the proposal in favour of remaining in the Basque Country for the remainder of the season.

In terms of potential deadline day incomings, Football Insider claim that Aston Villa are in late negotiations with Lyon to try and seal a late deal for Houssem Aouar before the close of play.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Nico Williams?

Transfer guru Romano thinks that a summer exit from Athletic Bilbao is a more realistic prospect for Williams than a late January departure.

Romano told GMS: “The expectation of those close to Nico Williams is for the player to leave, possibly in the summer. So at the moment, the situation is still complicated.”

Should Aston Villa reignite their interest in Williams this summer?

Williams has been in excellent form for Athletic Bilbao this campaign, registering six goals and five assists from 24 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Predominantly deployed on either flank, the youngster has sparkled with his capacity to carry the ball to dangerous effect this campaign, with WhoScored noting that he has completed an average of 1.5 dribbles per La Liga match in 2022/23.

At just 20 years old, Williams is a talent that will continue to develop rapidly with exposure to elite level first-team football. Furthermore, his exploits at the World Cup boosted his profile significantly, even in his limited time on the pitch.

Come the summer, Aston Villa could be one of many clubs that may need to vie for the signature of Williams in the transfer market.