Nico Williams explains decision to stay at Athletic Club

Williams was brilliant for Athletic Club in 2023/24 and went on to have an incredible Euro 2024 campaign with eventual winners Spain.

There was no shortage of transfer interest last summer, but the 22-year-old opted to stay at his boyhood club, who he has represented since 2013, joining when he was only 10 years old.

Arsenal will likely try again in the summer, while Barcelona's interest remains, though they do not have the same spending power as the Gunners.

The Blaugrana's money problems are well documented and with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski all shining this season, it would not make a lot of sense to spend big on Williams.

Their interest is genuine but it is unclear whether or not they made an offer to sign the Spanish winger last summer.

The same applies to Arsenal, whose interest was again a hot topic in the January transfer window.

Williams' future remains uncertain but the Spain international - who has a 51-million pound release clause - will once again be reluctant to leave Bilbao.

In an interview this week, Williams hailed the "incredible" atmosphere at the club, explaining why he snubbed interest from Barcelona and Arsenal in the 2024 summer window.

"This relationship we have at the heart of the club is incredible. Everyone respects everyone else, which is incredible," he told France Football.

"This atmosphere, I'll never have it anywhere else. I decided to stay because of that.

"I took the decision I thought was the right one. I'm happy and I'm trying to do my best."

Interestingly, Williams named Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wilfried Zaha when discussing his inspirations.

The Spaniard has revealed that he tried to replicate the Crystal Palace legend's style of play as well as his haircut.

"Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo. I loved that type of attacker," he added. "And Wilfried Zaha, who I've not named yet.

"I loved him when he was at Crystal Palace. He was a player I loved. I cut my hair to look like him.

"I tried to dribble like them, copy them to the maximum and to move like them. To do 5 per cent of what they've done..."

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