Ernesto Valverde plays down Nico Williams exit amid Barcelona talk

The 21-year-old's future is currently the subject of much speculation, as his contract at San Mames is due to expire next summer.

A number of Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle United, have been credited with an interest in the Spain international in recent months.

Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that Barcelona had been in touch with Williams's agent to register an interest in signing him next summer.

The Spaniard has featured on 89 occasions for Athletic in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists, including four assists in four La Liga outings this term.

Valverde has accepted «the noise» around Williams due to his potential, but the Athletic head coach is not concerned when it comes to a possible exit for the forward.

«The noise around Nico happens when there are players who stand out, especially with young people because they are valued much more for the potential they may have in the future,» Mundo Deportivo quotes Valverde as saying.

«It is something fictitious. There is a lot of talk about one player, then another, then another, and everything calms down as time goes by. We hope that Nico will be here with us for a long time.»

Williams also said that «everything is going very well» when asked about his contract discussions with Athletic.

«Everything has a process and everything is going very well,» he told Relevo at the end of August.

«I have things clear, I have always had them. They are things that my representative takes care of, but everything has a process. Things are going well, people are calm.»

Williams's existing deal