Nico Williams is Athletic Club’s star intent on leaving a legacy. What comes next?

Nico Williams knows all about playing in finals for club and country — but one would mean more than most.

“To play in the Europa League final would be incredible, above all in Bilbao, for everyone at Athletic Club,” the 22-year-old winger told Spanish outlet El Desmarque last month. “I’ve played for Athletic since ‘alevines’ (under-12s), and it’s incredible to see how the club has grown. You always dream about winning a trophy like this.”

In the last 12 months, Williams has lifted the 2023-24 Copa del Rey with Athletic Club to end his side’s 40-year wait for major silverware and won the European Championship with Spain.

Yet he accepted during that interview that winning this season’s Europa League trophy in Athletic’s home San Mames stadium on May 21 would match any achievement in his career to date.

“If you’re not an Athletic fan, you won’t understand,” he said. “There’s an incredible sense of belonging here. We saw it when we won the Copa del Rey last year. So, imagine a trophy like the Europa League. I believe this is our year. San Mames deserves this more than anyone.”

That connection and sense of belonging at Athletic Club, with their unique policy of only using Basque players, can be difficult for outsiders to truly grasp.

But it is a big reason why Williams has turned down regular opportunities to leave Bilbao and join higher-profile and richer clubs through recent years.

Unai Emery wanted him at Aston Villa in January 2023. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a long-term admirer. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, meanwhile, tried to tempt him to the Catalan club last summer.

While he is an ambitious character who knows his worth, Williams has always decided to stay and keep improving his game while sharing success in Bilbao.

The next step on that path is Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Manchester United at San Mames.

Athletic’s players and fans often talk about their club being like a family. For Williams, the metaphor rings even more true — he followed in his brother Inaki’s footsteps by joining their Lezama youth academy and then graduating to star for the senior team.

Nico made his La Liga debut aged 18 in April 2021. Less than two years later, he played in all four of Spain’s games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After his thrilling Euro 2024, he finished 15th in last year’s Ballon d’Or vote.

It has been a rapid rise, but not all plain sailing, with experiences along the way which have further strengthened his connection to the club and the city where the Williams family has found a home.

Inaki played for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup, telling The Athletic beforehand how the brothers’ parents Maria and Felix made a dangerous and gruelling 4,000-kilometre overland journey from Accra to Spain in 1993 to provide their children with more opportunities growing up.

Both Williams brothers are keenly aware of their symbolic role in Basque society. During Athletic Club’s 125th anniversary celebrations in 2023, the club held an event called The Social and Cultural Value of Migration, demonstrating the contributions of many footballers and families from migrant backgrounds through the club’s history.

🏅 Maria Arthuer, mother of Iñaki and Nico Williams, named 125th anniversary ambassador for June.

In recognition of the invaluable contribution the migrant community in The Basque Country has made to Athletic Club since its foundation in 1898. #Athletic125 #AthleticClub 🦁

— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) June 2, 2023

When Athletic exited the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Osasuna in April 2023, Nico missed two golden chances to score. After receiving abuse on social media, he temporarily closed his X and Instagram accounts.

Most supporters, the club hierarchy and coach Ernesto Valverde offered strong support and Williams started the following weekend’s La Liga trip to Espanyol on the bench. Entering with the game at 1-1 in the 69th minute, within six minutes of being on the pitch he dribbled past two defenders and curled in the winning goal. It was a huge moment — especially as Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium was where his brother Inaki had suffered racist abuse in January 2020.

In April 2024, at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium, a La Liga game was stopped temporarily when Nico told the referee “monkey noises” had been aimed at him from the stands. After scoring Athletic’s equaliser at the same end of the pitch, he used his celebration to show pride in the colour of his skin.

💪🏿 ¡Tenía que ser él!

😎 @willliamsssnico 👊🏿#AtletiAthletic #LaLigaHighlights 🦁 pic.twitter.com/yodk7t7KvG

— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) April 27, 2024

There were happier scenes a few weeks later when Athletic roared past Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to reach the 2024 Copa final. Williams was outstanding in the final against Real Mallorca, creating his team’s goal and being named man of the match before Athletic won on penalties after extra time. A million fans lined the banks of Bilbao’s Nervion river to cheer the historic ‘Gabarra’ — a barge which Athletic only take out when they have won a trophy — carrying Williams, his team-mates and the club’s first major trophy since the 1984 Copa.

“I was the first one to cry, you can’t even imagine what this feels like,” Williams said during the celebrations. “I’ve dreamed so much about this — with my family, my brother. We’ve made history. I still can’t believe it.”

Watch this and don’t shed a tear, we dare you…pic.twitter.com/vNU0XCyzYM

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) April 7, 2024

After long negotiations with Athletic’s hierarchy, Williams signed a three-year contract extension in December 2023, tying him to the club until 2027. That increased his salary considerably, but left his release clause at a relatively manageable figure of around €60million ($68m; £51m).

That looked like particularly good value for money as Williams finished last season with 27 goal contributions (eight goals, 19 assists) in all competitions.

The price appeared to be even more attractive after Euro 2024, when Williams started six of Spain’s seven matches, combining dazzling skills with decisive end product. He was unstoppable in the 1-0 group-stage win against Italy, creating the own goal scored by Riccardo Calafiori. He scored the opener in Spain’s 2-1 final win against England, arriving onto a through ball from fellow young winger Lamine Yamal to powerfully sidefoot low past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

While he produced those brilliant performances in Germany, speculation mounted that Williams would leave Bilbao. The Athletic reported that all of Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool had at least pursued the idea of signing him during the summer.

The strongest interest came from Barcelona, with Spain team-mates including Yamal publicly urging him to join them. Many in Bilbao were angered by all the speculation, including Athletic president Jon Uriarte, who retorted in a statement: “Athletic Club is financially, socially and sportingly capable of keeping players of the calibre of Nico Williams.”

He had a point — the recently remodelled 53,000-seater San Mames is among Europe’s most impressive stadiums, while the team’s loyal local fan base and modern global marketing strategies help them pay higher salaries than almost all clubs in La Liga.

Still, Williams’ camp did speak to Barcelona about the move, and the ultimate decision was left to the player himself. It was a difficult call to make, with even some within his camp unsure what would happen. Finally, after careful deliberation, with his brother Inaki always acting as his closest confidant, he decided to stay.

Central to that was the possibility of winning this year’s Europa League trophy, at home, with his family.

After that successful and stressful summer, Williams’ start to the season was relatively quiet, not helped by persistent ankle and hip injuries through the first few months.

It was always going to be difficult to match the impressive numbers of 2023-24, but since the winter break, he has returned to his best form, with vital contributions — especially in the Europa League.

The numbers show that Williams’ goalscoring/shooting have trended pretty steadily. Last season’s big jump in assists and expected assist (xA) numbers demonstrates the winger was getting the ball into more dangerous areas for team-mates with more frequency.

This year, he is attempting slightly fewer crosses per game (5.0 vs 6.0). While he is producing fewer high-quality shots per game on average, he is finishing more clinically.

This tallies with insight from those who know Williams well — speaking anonymously to protect that relationship — who have told The Athletic he has concentrated in recent seasons on becoming more clinical and adding greater end product to his game.

The most eye-catching element of Williams’ game remains his ability to carry the ball past multiple opponents at pace. His high-volume dribbling has not diminished this season — he is attempting around 8.2 take-ons per game in La Liga, a career high. Only three players — Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, his Spain team-mate Yamal and Jamie Gittens of Borussia Dortmund have attempted more in Europe’s top five leagues.

Athletic’s biggest Europa League test so far this season came in the round of 16 against Roma, when they lost the first leg 2-1 away. Williams was sensational in the return game.

Early in that match, a mazy dribble past three defenders was followed by a curling effort he crashed off the far post. But, just before half-time, he drew his team level again in the tie with a traditional striker’s goal — controlling a cross at the far post and finishing powerfully first time. Left-back Yuri Berchiche then headed Athletic in front on aggregate, before Williams secured their progress with a trademark mazy dribble inside the penalty area and poked finish home.

That game’s dashboard shows how well he maintained width for the team, with lots of progressive carries and link-up play with team-mates, before choosing his moments to burst into the box with devastating effect.

Williams and his team-mates experienced a frustrating quarter-final first leg at Rangers, with the game finishing goalless despite Valverde’s side playing 80 minutes with an extra man. The second leg only opened up after Oihan Sancet opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Williams then clinched a semi-final spot with a rare headed goal. That made it five goals in the Europa League and 12 for club and country this season — already his best tally for a season.

Athletic’s Europa League success and union with fans has only underlined Williams’ close connection to San Mames.

The autumn saw the release of the documentary Los Williams (The Williams Brothers), which premiered at the San Sebastian film festival and won an award at the 2024 Basque Documentary Film Awards.

Directed by renowned filmmaker Raul de la Fuente and available on Netflix, the film features the brothers narrating their family’s story from Ghana to the Basque Country to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, exploring themes of identity, racism, ambition and success.

Nico and those around him know the opportunities presented by his emerging stardom. His commercial partners now include Red Bull and burger chain Goiko, while he has been a cover star for the Spanish editions of Esquire and GQ magazines. Both brothers were also guests on Spanish late-night TV talk show La Revuelta late last year.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported Nico is expected to be more open to a move this summer than previously. Most of Europe’s top clubs would likely be interested, although not everyone can afford to trigger his clause of around €60m (which must be paid all at once) and meet his wage demands.

Arteta remains a big fan — and Williams would be a preferred option if Arsenal decide to go for a wide attacker this summer. That may depend on a player currently in that position leaving first, to open space in the squad and in the budget.

Barca are unlikely to try again given their continuing financial issues and Raphinha’s fine season on the left wing — earlier this season, senior club sources told The Athletic that his “train to Barca had already passed”. Chelsea’s transfer decision makers have maintained interest but they have a wage structure of sorts in place and it would be difficult to fit Williams into it.

Those who know Williams say that, had he emerged a few years previously, when Athletic were mid-table and not playing in Europe, he would likely already have left. But he really does feel part of a historic moment for his side, winning trophies together with his brother and close friends.

Williams missed Athletic’s recent 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid with a minor groin problem, but returned to play 25 minutes off the bench in last Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Las Palmas. That win kept Valverde’s side fourth in La Liga, well set to qualify for next season’s Champions League (the Spanish top flight is now guaranteed five automatic spots).

Athletic have only played in Europe’s top club competition once in the 21st century, going out at the group stage in 2014-15. Representing his team against elite clubs at San Mames next year would be another huge motivation for Nico.

Still, he has kept very coy whenever asked about his future plans, with everyone aware more speculation is certain to come this summer.

“The only thing I’m focusing on at the moment is reaching this (Europa League) final,” Williams said last month in that interview with El Desmarque. “All my energy and focus is 100 per cent on that. Everything else will be decided later. I’m very happy right now.”

(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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