Chelsea have cooled their interest in Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams after being put off by his wage demands according to reports.
The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Tottenham and Aston Villa also believed to be interested in the Spain international.
It’s set be a busy summer at Chelsea with plenty of players expected to be coming and going at Stamford Bridge, but it appears Williams may now not be one of those.
Chelsea cool interest in Nico Williams
Williams is enjoying a good season for Bilbao and signed a new deal back in December which contains a release clause of £43m.
That fee is unlikely to prove a problem for the top club’s in the Premier League but personal terms could be an issue, particularly wages.
It’s been reported by 90min that the winger is already earning around €200,000 per week and would expect that to be increased were he to move.
They add that Chelsea along with Villa have been monitoring Williams, but are unlikely to follow up on their interest due to the financial demands of the deal.
A move for Williams doesn’t seem to make much sense for the Blues anyway given they are well stocked in the wide positions, with talented youngster Kendry Paez set to arrive in 2025, and the club also advancing on a deal for 17-year-old wonder kid Estevao Willian.
Williams has scored seven goals and provided 16 assists in 34 appearances for the La Liga side this campaign, and played a key role in the club winning the Copa Del Rey.
The Blues are believed to be in the market for a striker, centre back and left back this summer and have already been linked with a number of top names across Europe.