Why Chelsea have now moved their attention to Nico Williams

Having missed out on Michael Olise, who looks likely to join Bayern Munich, Chelsea has set their sights on signing Spain winger Nico Williams. As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, who Football Park ranks as tier 1 for reliability, Chelsea have switched their attention to the Athletic Bilbao academy graduate. With Williams having a stunning start with Spain at Euro 2024, the Blues will likely have to move fast, as his transfer fee will likely soar if he continues his stellar performances.

🚨 Chelsea have now turned their attention to Nico Williams after missing out in Michael Olise.

(Source: @dimarzio) pic.twitter.com/e8WlEzyG7R

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 23, 2024

Could missing out on Olise be better for Chelsea?

No doubt Chelsea will be disappointed in missing out on the Crystal Palace winger but some stats suggest that the signing of Williams could turn out to be a better one for the London club. The two players share a similar playstyle, using their pace and skills to skip past defenders. In the 2023/2024 season, Olise outscored Williams, doubling the Bilbao's wingers tally scoring 10 goals compared to William's 5. This is even more impressive considering the fact that Williams played nearly double the amount of minutes, but as we know, it’s not just about goals.

Nico Williams outshines Olise in every other aspect. He has the edge in assists, having set up his teammates 14 times, while Olise only finished the season with six. He also comes out on top against his French counterpart in ball retention and successful dribbles. The Spanish winger is also considerably faster than Olise. Newly appointed Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca likes his wingers to stay out wide and stretch the opposition's defense, meaning the speed of Williams and Mudryk would be a tough task for any team to handle.

Williams has not played outside of La Liga, having spent his short career at Athletic Bilbao so far. This could be seen as a risk in signing the youngster, but if his sensational performances in Spain's opening two games are anything to go by, he could be the Premier League's next big star.