Tottenham have been seeking a replacement for Brennan Johnson.
Despite some heavy spending in the summer, Tottenham Hotspur have not been able to produce desirable results. Spurs winning just two of their last 11 Premier League games have seen them drop to 13th in the table.
It has been widely reported over recent weeks that signing a wide-forward is the north London club’s top priority, and that has now become even more vital, given that Brennan Johnson has been sold to Crystal Palace for £35m. Tottenham’s pursuit of Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has failed, with the Ghanaian international keen to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
It’s been a poor start to Thomas Frank’s tenure in N17, and Spurs will need to look at strengthening their squad in this transfer window if they want to get their season back on track.
Tottenham monitoring Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have been monitoring a wide pool of left-sided options, including Athletic Bilbao’s electric winger Nico Williams, who was heavily linked to Barcelona in 2025 summer.
Nico Williams had a strong desire to join Barcelona last summer, with president Joan Laporta willing to pay the winger’s €58 million release clause. However, a move to Barcelona did not materialise, and the Spanish international ended up signing a new contract with Athletic Club until 2035. The new deal saw a 50% increase in his release clause.
Since breaking into Athletic’s first team in 2021, the speedy winger has made 186 appearances for the club, scoring 34 goals and registering 33 assists. He was also part of the team which won the Copa del Rey in 2024, ending the Basque club’s 40-year major trophy drought. The 23-year-old also essayed a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, scoring in the 2-1 victory over England in the final.
Williams has endured a stop-start 2025/26 campaign due to injury, yet he has managed to register three goals and as many assists in 19 games in all competitions. Yet, regarded as one of the highly-rated talents in European football, it is no surprise that Spurs have been keeping tabs on Williams as they seek a wide forward in the wake of Johnson’s departure. Mohammed Kudus picking up an injury in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday has further accentuated the need to sign a winger, and the Athletic ace would be a smashing fit in Frank’s system.
Capable of operating on both flanks, the Pamplona-born talent would be an instant upgrade on Johnson. He’d add pace, flair, energy and cutting edge to the Lilywhites’ attack, while the Spaniard’s European experience would also come in handy. However, given that Williams is a key player for Athletic and has a mammoth release clause in his contract, his departure midway through the season seems unlikely.
Nonetheless, the Hotspur Way chiefs must show ambition and go all out for the player’s pursuit.