Athletic Club winger Nico Williams has confessed he rejected “many offers” this summer in favour of remaining with his boyhood club.

The 22-year-old was a target for the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona even before his dazzling Euro 2024 campaign, which made his £49m release clause feel like one of the biggest potential bargains of the summer.

Williams, however, rejected all the offers to commit to one more year with Athletic, although he left the door open to a transfer away from Bilbao at the end of the current season.

“My heart is with Athletic, but nobody knows what will happen in the future,” he said. “I have had many offers this year on the table, but I have decided to stay for another year.

“I’m 22 years old. I’m very happy. I have been here since I was 11 and my family is here, Athletic always has more weight and I have shown that. It is the best place to grow.

“It is always good when big teams have you on their agenda. I have always been clear that I wanted to be at Athletic – a feeling that is not experienced at other clubs. There were approaches from other clubs, [but I want] to play in Europe with Athletic and try to win the title.”

Asked whether he could sign a new contract to remove his release clause, Williams said: “Those things are handled by my agent.”

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD