Liverpool ‘want £45m Nico Williams transfer from Athletic Bilbao but face competition from Premier League rivals’

LIVERPOOL are reportedly targeting a £45million deal for Spain star Nico Williams.

But they face competition from Premier League rivals Aston Villa for the Athletic Bilbao ace.

GettyLiverpool are chasing a £45m deal for Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams[/caption]

Williams, 20, has been in good form this season with three goals and four assists in 20 matches.

The youngster was part of Spain’s World Cup squad in Qatar, playing in all four of their matches.

And AS claims Williams is now being lined up for a mega-money move to the Premier League following previous links with Man United.

Liverpool are big fans of the wide forward, who is out of contract next year.

Jurgen Klopp has struggled to get a tune out of new signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

And with Roberto Firmino’s future unclear, Williams has emerged as an ideal target.

But there are two issues for Liverpool, the first being the price.

Williams has a release clause of £45m, and Bilbao will not let him go for anything less.

The second issue is that Aston Villa are also keen on signing Williams.

Unai Emery knows the winger well from his last spell as Villarreal boss.

And Villa has shown they are not afraid to splash the cash for the right signing.

Williams could now have a huge decision to make at the end of the season, having also been linked with Juventus.

Yet there is every chance he ends up signing a new contract, with brother Inaki still starring for Bilbao despite seeing his consecutive appearances record come to an end.