2024-07-27 11:28:01
We evaluate one of the most popular football players of this summer.
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to footballhd.ru.
Spain were one of the brightest teams at the European Championship and deservedly won the tournament. La Roja did not completely abandon their old style on the way to success at Euro 2024, but the Spanish combined controlled passing, speed and trickery in their moves, mainly coming from outstanding young talents Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Yamal made headlines before the tournament even started, while Williams only started to be talked about after the European Championship, where he was one of the best players. The Athletic winger has been linked with many clubs. Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa are among those eyeing his release clause.
But the interest is not solely based on his performances at Euro 2024. It may have been Nico’s breakthrough tournament on the European stage, but he has been surprising fans in La Liga for some time now. Athletic finished fifth in the domestic league last season and won the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1983/84. And much of the team’s results depended on Williams’ performances.
Of all the players in Europe’s top five leagues last season, only Florian Wirtz (19), Alex Baena, Kevin De Bruyne and Alex Grimaldo (all 17) provided more assists than Niko (16) in all competitions, despite playing fewer games than three of those four. Williams scored eight goals in 37 appearances in all competitions last season. The 22-year-old winger ended the campaign with a total of 24 assists, a figure only surpassed by eight players in La Liga.
Nico has provided 16 assists, 10 more than last season, despite playing six fewer games. Even those who only got to know him at the Euros know that dribbling is one of Williams’ strengths. Of all the players who have played at least 15 La Liga games in 2023/24, only Rayo Vallecano’s Bebe (5.6) has attempted more successful dribbles per 90 minutes than Nico (3.4).
Williams is also a defensive force. Only five La Liga players, including his teammate and older brother Iñaki, have won back possession in the final third more times than the Athletic winger (23), and only 13 forwards in the Spanish top flight have made more tackles than him (31). Nico (122) and Iñaki, 30 (421), have made 543 appearances between them for the Basque club. The pair were among their team’s best last season.
Iñaki was the only Athletic player to have been involved in more attacks that resulted in a shot on goal (157) than his younger brother (123). Those who follow La Liga had some expectations for Williams’ performance at the European Championships as well. One of the reasons Spain closed out the group after just two games was a 1-0 win over Italy, where Nico showed the world what he could do against some experienced defenders.
Williams attempted 11 dribbles that night, converted five crosses and created four chances. The key was a cross that Riccardo Calafiori turned into his own goal. Only Jamal Musiala attempted as many dribbles in a single game at the tournament (Germany vs. Denmark). It is noteworthy that at the European Championship, Niko only scored in the playoffs – in the round of 16 and the final. He returned from the Euro with three scoring actions (2 goals and 1 assist), although his overall impact on the team’s play was much greater.
His goal in the final against England made him the second-youngest player in the history of the Euro to score in a final (22 years and 2 days). In this respect, Niko was second only to the Italian Pietro Anastasi, who scored in 1968 (20 years and 64 days). The Athletic winger earned the title of European champion, as did all his teammates. Credit should also be given to the head coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, who believed in the youth.
Unsurprisingly, speculation about Williams’ future has intensified after his impressive performance at the international tournament. He only signed a new contract with Athletic at the end of 2023, and the deal will run until the end of the 2026/27 season. Media reports claim that Nico’s buyout clause is relatively small (€55-60 million). The player himself recently stated that he has no plans to leave his home club. But the Spaniard did not rule out anything either.
Barcelona are considered one of the main contenders for the winger, with the Catalan club the player is rumoured to be considering. If Williams can continue to be as productive as he is, the newly crowned European champion would be a strong option for any team – in England, Spain or anywhere else. The player is most closely linked with Barcelona, and it’s understandable why it would make sense for the Catalans, as Niko would be able to reunite with Yamal at club level.
Whether Barca can afford to sign him is another matter, but it would certainly be a good spectacle for the fans. The Blaugrana just need to win the battle for the player. Watching Williams and Yamal as a duo at Euro 2024 was a blast. Who wouldn’t want to watch that duo every week in La Liga as Barcelona try to compete with a ferocious Real Madrid attack that has just added Kylian Mbappe? Just one transfer could make La Liga spectacular again. From Goal
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