Chelsea must have been monitoring the international fixture as Spain defeated France 5-4 in an epic Nations League semi-final on Thursday night.
For starters, Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella started and played 90 minutes for Spain, who will now face Portugal in Sunday’s Nations League final. Meanwhile, Blues right-back Malo Gusto also came on as a substitute for France.
It won’t be long before Enzo Maresca’s squad are reuniting for the Club World Cup tournament, so the players really aren’t getting much of a break over the summer.
Nico Williams, 22, was one of the stars of the show for Spain, scoring and assisting in the goal fest. The Athletic Bilbao winger has been heavily linked with a potential move to Stamford Bridge this summer, which is why his masterclass on the international stage should raise a few eyebrows.
Recent reports claim that Chelsea are prepared to activate Williams’ £50m release clause, but his high wages are still a potential issue.
Chelsea target Williams, who always appears to shine when he plays for his country, stood out again in Spain’s nine-goal thriller against France this week.
The 22-year-old left-winger received rave reviews in the Spanish media after his Nations League performance.
ElDesmarque wrote: “Nico Williams (9) – Electric, dangerous, goalscorer. He seems to be performing even better for Spain than he was for Athletic. He gave a warning in the 18th minute before scoring the 1-0 in the 22nd after a pass from Oyarzabal. He assisted Pedri for the fourth and almost scored the fifth before being substituted in the 64th minute.
Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo said: “Nico Williams – Dominant – He opened the scoring with an Oyarzabal pass, set up Lamine for the penalty, and shared the one-two with Pedri that made it 4-0 for Spain. You can’t ask for much more.”
While it’s good news for Chelsea that Barcelona are no longer in the race to sign Williams, it remains to be seen whether they will meet the player’s high wage demand.
On paper, the rapid attacker would be a superb signing for the Blues, especially because of his existing relationship on the left-hand side with Cucurella.
The Athletic star scored 11 goals and created seven assists in 45 club appearances last season across all competitions. It feels inevitable that he’s due a marquee transfer move in the near future.
Nico Williams tears France apart
For those who didn’t watch the Nations League semi-final, Williams ripped France defender Pierre Kalulu to shreds during the first hour of the contest.
The Spanish wide man always attacks with such speed and directness. It’s why we think he would be a stellar signing for any top club in Europe this summer.
| Minutes played | Goals | Assists | Total shots | Chances created | Accurate passes | Touches in opposition box | Match rating |
| 64 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 10/13 (77%) | 6 | 8.4 |
If something changes with Williams’ demands of £400,000-a-week, Chelsea should be right there to snap him up because he could shine in the Premier League. It would be the type of statement summer signing that could really elevate the Blues XI going into next season.
