According to a report from the very reliable David Ornstein, Tottenham Hotspur are amongst the clubs who are long standing admirers of winger Nico Williams from Basque club Athletic Club.
In the report, Ornstein suggests that he would prefer not to leave in the upcoming winter transfer window, but it is “probable” that he will join a new club at some point during the course of 2025.Spurs one of a few clubs with long term interest in winger
Some people may see the 22-year old’s record and be underwhelmed, but this guy has all of the potential to explode into an elite forward. This is an occasion where I refer to myself, rather than “we” – my first article for Hotspur HQ in April, was a piece explaining why Spurs should sign Williams. Since then, he has had an elite Euros campaign, culminating in scoring the final, and winning the trophy – unfortunately.
His numbers this season have been fairly modest, with two goals in all competitions, though he does have five assists in La Liga and the Europa League. Plus, he is at an age where he can still become a goalscorer. Brennan Johnson scored five goals in 32 Premier League games last season – and has six in 13 this season. He is a year older, too – so a good example of how quickly your numbers can rise.Furthermore, if Johnson continues to become a contributor from the right side, does this mean there is less burden on who plays off the left? Of course, you want players to chip in from everywhere, but it could negate the need for goals from that side a bit more than was the case previously.
On paper, a wing duo of Williams and Johnson would compliment each other quite well. From the right side, you have the bigger goalscoring threat, who will attack the back post and get into the right areas. From the left hand side, you have the 1v1 player that can help create chances.
The Spain international’s 1v1 ability is so good that he can often be doubled or even tripled up by the opposition, which could help create space for the likes of Johnson to make smart off ball runs into dangerous positions. This really feels like a wing duo that would compliment each other well.Finally, Williams is someone with blistering pace, who can happily go down the outside. However, he is also right-footed, so is capable of cutting inside, getting shots off or creating chances. This is encouraging in terms of the dynamic with Destiny Udogie. If the left-back inverts, the Spain number 11 can go down the outside. If the Italian overlaps, Williams can move inside and take up more central positions.
This would seriously be a game changing signing for Spurs, should anything come off it – most likely in the summer.
