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Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams will be visiting Old Trafford next month when Manchester United take on the Basque club in the Europa League semi-finals
Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams has admitted that every child dreams of playing at Old Trafford amid reports linking him with a summer transfer to Manchester United.
The 22-year-old was on the scoresheet on Thursday night as he helped his team beat Rangers 2-0 on the night and on aggregate to advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League. After a slow start to the campaign thanks to last summer’s European Championships, Williams has managed to find his feet again in the Basque country.
Williams has 11 goals and seven assists to his name in all competitions and back in February, this earned the Spanish international interest from United. In February, it was reported that the winger could be on United’s shortlist to replace Marcus Rashford should he leave the club permanently.
A £49m release clause is reportedly inserted into the forward’s contract and considering his high potential, Williams may be an option that Ineos would like to explore. Now, the Reds have been given a potential boost over signing the winger after his interview with Marca following the victory over Rangers.
He told reporters: “Every kid wants to play at Old Trafford. We’ll try to put our best foot forward in the first leg at San Mamés to go there with determination and show what Athletic Bilbao is all about.
“This tie will have no favorite. Manchester United is at the bottom of the league, but they made it clear against Olympique Lyonnais what they’re capable of with the way they handled the match.”
Thursday night was one of the best adverts yet as to why players should be considering joining United under Ruben Amorim’s management. With the tie looking over at 6-4 in favour of Lyon, the Reds showed incredible heart and determination to turn the match around with Harry Maguire the ultimate hero scoring with a last gasp header in extra-time to win the tie 5-4 on the night, 7-6 on aggregate.
Whoever wins the clash between Athletic Club and United will face either Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.
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Published: 2025-04-19 08:58:50 | Author: [email protected] (Jack Flintham) | Source: MEN – Sport
Link: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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