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Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde has insisted Spain star Nico Williams is happy at the club amid interest from Barcelona.
Williams, 22, was named in the Team of the Tournament as Spain won the European Championship, with ESPN previously reporting Barça have made him their top target as they look to strengthen the left side of their attack.
He only signed a new contract with Athletic in December until 2027 and, while it does include a €58 million ($63m) release clause, Valverde believes the Basque side will be able to ward off any interest in the winger, with Premier League sides also linked.
“We are counting on Nico to return to training in August,” Valverde, who coached Barça between 2017 and 2020, said in a news conference on Thursday.
“He’s happy with us and we are happy with him. We want the best players. It’s going to be an exciting season for everyone as we return to the Europa League.
“We have a really good team and we want to improve it. We want to compete in every competition. I am sure he loves the challenges we have in front of us; he is happy here.”
Williams, who has been at Athletic since joining the club’s academy in 2013, has emerged as Barça’s first option to reinforce their frontline following the appointment of Hansi Flick as the Catalan club’s new coach.
However, Barça are not currently able to register new signings with LaLiga as they remain in excess of their league-imposed spending limit.
President Joan Laporta and LaLiga chief Javier Tebas have both expressed optimism in recent weeks that the club can afford to invest in the squad soon, but for that to happen they will first need either player exits or new revenue streams.
Even so, Valverde hopes that winning the Copa del Rey last season, qualifying for Europe and playing a prominent role for Spain will help keep Williams at the club, along with his brother, Iñaki, and Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.
“I can’t keep repeating the same things,” Valverde said amid a barrage of questions about Williams’ future.
“Nico has a contract, he is with us, we are happy with him and we are waiting for him to return from some time off after the Euros now.
“As a club, we want to have the best players. That there are other teams that want them — Unai Simón, Nico, Iñaki , whoever… we want them to stay with us.
“It’s been proven that playing for Athletic, Real Sociedad or in other clubs you can still be called up for Spain, you can still be among the best players at the Euros, win trophies and have a great year.
“It’s a big year and I don’t have any doubts, Nico is happy. Of course, we know Nico’s a great player and it’s reported that other clubs are interested in him, but he’s our player.”