Aston Villa handed January transfer blow but Unai Emery gets lifeline for future deal

Aston Villa have been given an update in their reported bid to land Athletic Club star Nico Williams.

Villa have been linked with a move for the Athletic Club sensation as they continue to build a squad capable of challenging for a top six and - potentially - a top four finish. Emiliano Buendia has been ruled out for the season, leaving Unai Emery in need of another winger, which is where Williams comes in.

Nico, who is the brother of Athletic Club teammate Iñaki, is already a 10-time Spain international at the age of 21.

The younger Williams, the one reportedly of interest to Villa, currently has a release clause worth around £44million, but a new contract is in order, according to Sport. It’s claimed Barcelona and Real Madrid have both been told to ‘throw in the towel’ in their bid to convince the youngster to make the switch.

And Villa might as well take the same message on board, with Athletic Club likely to offer a juicy wage, given their transfer model allows them to spend significantly on wages where needed. Williams is out of contract next summer, meaning he is willing to speak to clubs outside of Spain to agree a pre-contract agreement from January.

But the message coming out of Spain is that Williams is all-but certain to sign a new deal, committing his future to the Basque club in the short-term. Though, there is a caveat that could offer Villa hope for the future.

Williams is said to be willing to sign a new deal on one condition, and that condition is an even lower release clause, making a transfer easier to obtain in the future. Naturally, though, he does not have to leave if the release clause is met, and given he is about to sign a new contract while well aware of interest from Barca and Real Madrid, it’s likely a transfer is off the table for at least another year.