Nico Williams gives green light to Bayern Munich move as Bundesliga champions prepare to replace Leroy Sane with exciting Athletic Club winger

According to Sky Germany, the Spain international has expressed strong interest in making a switch to the Bavarians in the summer. The Bundesliga champions are now among the frontrunners to land the young winger, who has reportedly told the club’s top brass that he is "very open" to a move to Munich ahead of the new season.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been closely monitoring Williams' situation and have him on their summer shopping lists. However, Bayern's pursuit appears to have gained traction, especially with the departure of Leroy Sane, who has sealed a free transfer to Turkish side Galatasaray. The departure has left a gap in Bayern's frontline and the club see Williams as an ideal candidate to fill that void.

Sporting director Max Eberl and Christoph Freund are understood to have led the negotiations and reportedly received positive feedback from Williams' camp regarding the potential transfer. For the move to materialise, however, Bayern will be required to meet the financial terms set by Athletic Bilbao. The Spanish club inserted a €60–65 million (£51m-£55m/$69m-$75m) release clause into Williams' current contract, which Bayern must trigger to begin formal talks. Additionally, the player is believed to be seeking a gross salary of €20m (£17m/$23m), a figure that reflects his growing stature in European football.

Interestingly, Williams had shown reluctance earlier this year about leaving San Mamés. Speaking in April, he had voiced satisfaction with life at Bilbao and appeared fully committed to the club's project.

"I'm really happy here. I've always wanted to be an important part of this team. This season has been a perfect 10 for me," the winger had said, signalling that he wasn't actively seeking a transfer at the time.

Williams' current contract runs until the summer of 2027 and Athletic have been in negotiations to improve the terms of that deal in an attempt to fend off mounting interest from Europe's elite clubs. Whether they can do enough to convince him to stay remains uncertain, especially with Bayern poised to trigger his release clause and Premier League giants continuing to lurk in the background.