Aston Villa makes a club-record bid for Liverpool target as Unai Emery makes a bold statement
Aston Villa makes a club-record bid for Liverpool target as Unai Emery makes a bold statement
Unai Emery makes a huge statement with a club-record bid for a new January target in the latest Aston Villa transfer news.
Aston Villa were said to be willing to pay the £45 million release clause in order to make Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams the club’s record signing, but the deal appears doubtful due to the player’s stance. Unai Emery, who has been vocal about his desire to bring in a winger, was willing to spend a large portion of his budget on the player – a true statement of intent.
Williams, who turned 20 in July, has been an important player for Bilbao this season, scoring three goals and assisting on four others in 18 games. Despite his youth, the forward has already represented Spain at the senior level seven times. Arsenal and Liverpool have both expressed interest in signing him.
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Villa were “willing to pay [the] £45 million release clause,” with Emery anxious to get things going in the January transfer window. The player, on the other hand, “didn’t want to leave the Basque country,” implying that a move is improbable at this time. If the transfer goes through, it will cost more than the £34.6 million Villa paid for Emi Buendia in 2021.
In response, the Lions are rumoured to be interested in Real Betis winger Luiz Henrique, who is 18 months Williams’s junior. The former Brazilian U20 international has only scored once in La Liga this season, but he has scored two goals and assisted on two more in the UEFA Europa League. Both athletes stand at the same height of 5ft 9in.
According to The Daily Mail, Henrique has also been watched by other Premier League clubs, with Manchester United and Arsenal “sending scouts to watch” the 22-year-old. Henrique joined Betis for £7.1 million in July, but Manuel Pellegrini’s side might sell him for a huge profit. However, no bid has been submitted as of yet.
