Aston Villa confirmed to take ‘closer look’ at £42.5m wonderkid wanted by Arsenal

The Villans have confirmed the last of their 2024/25 pre-season plans, including a fixture against La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao in Walsall on August 7.

Unai Emery will have the opportunity to watch transfer target Nico Williams up close as the Spanish wonderkid is one of Athletic’s key players. Also wanted by Arsenal, the 21-year-old impressed with five goals and 12 assists in 31 top-flight appearances last campaign.

Williams, cherry-picked by Emery as a priority target across the last three transfer windows, has the potential to become one of the world’s most coveted wingers. Many would argue the forward must first leave Athletic to fulfil his potential but it appears he’s more than content in Bilbao.

Speculation has cooled a little over recent weeks after it emerged how significant Williams’ wage demands would be for a transfer away. It was claimed the Pamplona native would ask for around £200,000-a-week, stunning Villa and any other potential suitors.

A lot can change throughout the course of a transfer window, though, and the intensity of Emery’s interest could be tricky to ignore – as could Villa’s recent qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal could enter the fray, too, as Williams has a release clause of just €50 million (£42.5 million).

Aston Villa finalise pre-season schedule

Villa have confirmed the final details of their summer pre-season fixtures, including the aforementioned clash with Athletic. It’ll begin with the usual domestic friendly against Walsall on July 17, followed by a newly-confirmed trip to Slovak side FC Spartak Trnava on July 20.

Three fixtures will then take place during a short tour of the United States, starting with Columbus Crew (July 27) and ending against Club América (August 3). Emery’s side will take on Bundesliga outfit Red Bull Leipzig in between (July 31). Pre-season will then end with a glamorous visit to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund on August 10.