In a recent report, Goal stated that Chelsea are facing fierce competition for Athletic Bilbao ace Nico Williams. It has been mentioned that the Blues will have to rival Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in the race to secure the services of the Spanish winger.
Williams’ Impressive Run Of Form In Spanish Football
Williams is having a decent campaign at the San Mames Stadium after he put in a handful of impressive performances on the right side of Bilbao’s frontline. The 20-year-old has found the back of the net on four occasions and earned five assists in 17 matches for the Spanish side this season across multiple competitions.
The Pamplona-born talent has been a consistent performer for Athletic Bilbao on the attacking end of the field based on his average of 1.7 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga football. He has even been tidy when interchanging possession with his teammates in the opposition half, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 79.1% in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
Williams is under contract at Bilbao until the summer of 2024. Hence, Chelsea might have a good chance of recruiting him on the cheap this January or at the end of this campaign.
What Will Williams Add To Chelsea Boss Graham Potter’s Side?
Williams is proficient at creating space for himself to get a few strikes in on-target. He can shoot the ball with venom and precision from long range and has got the vision to create some decent chances for others around him in the final third.
The Spain international has even got the pace to make some dangerous runs with the ball out on the wide areas. He mainly operates as a right-winger but can also fill in as a right-sided wide player if needed.
Williams is currently representing his country, Spain in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which is happening in Qatar. However, he is yet to open his goal-scoring account in the prestigious FIFA tournament.
We can expect someone of Williams’ quality to add more goals and creativity to Graham Potter’s attack at Stamford Bridge. He could even help the Blues challenge for some major trophies over the next few years. However, there are some concerns over whether Williams can adapt to the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football if Chelsea manage to win the race for his services next year.
