Chelsea monitoring Athletic Club’s Nico Williams – sources،
Chelsea are one of several clubs tracking Nico Williams, but a summer bid for the Athletic Club winger depends on several circumstances, sources have told ESPN.
The 21-year-old signed a new contract with the Spanish club last December which contains a release clause in the region of 50 million euros ($71 million), a relatively low figure for such a promising talent, but the Bilbao-based club were at risk of losing him for nothing given his previous deal expired in June.
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However, the existence of this clause as well as Williams' good form this season (he has contributed six goals and 11 assists) has attracted interest from Chelsea, while Spanish sources have confirmed that Arsenal and Liverpool have all two spotted the winger.
Chelsea's priority is to sign a striker this summer with Napoli's Victor Osimhen and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko among their top targets, but their ability to compete in the market will likely depend on player sales.
On Thursday, Chelsea announced a pre-tax loss of £90.1 million ($117 million) for the year ending June 30, 2023, which follows a loss of £121.4 million for the preceding 12-month period.
Chelsea continue to privately insist that they remain compliant with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules as well as UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, but their leeway to invest in the The team seems minimal.
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover in May 2022, the club has spent more than £1 billion on players, although it has also recouped around £400 million in sales during this period .
Any pursuit for Williams would likely come after a deal for a striker and Osimhen, long considered Chelsea's preferred option, would be expensive.
A source told ESPN that Osimhen has a release clause in his contract worth around €130 million and that Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the Nigerian striker.
Sesko would be a cheaper alternative given he has a €50m release clause in his deal with Leipzig which is expected to become active this summer. Brentford's Ivan Toney is another possible option, but the west London club were demanding £80million for the 27-year-old in January.
Any move for Williams would cast further doubt on the futures of a number of Chelsea wingers, including Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, although there is no indication at this stage that any of those trio will be available at the end of the season. .
However, Chelsea are likely to have to sell a number of players this summer, and Conor Gallagher has been repeatedly linked with a move to Tottenham.
