<
>

Inaki Williams not interested in leaving Athletic Bilbao amid reported interest

Reported Liverpool, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund target Inaki Williams has played down speculation that he could leave Athletic Bilbao.

Williams, 22, has scored four goals and assisted five more in La Liga this season, and said he is flattered by the interest but he is happy to continue his development with Athletic.

"I'm relaxed ... I'm very happy and I have always said that this is where I want to be," AS quote Williams as saying. "It's an honour to come in every morning and be with my teammates and the coaching staff, I have no intention of a change of scenery.

"It's flattering to have big teams interested in you, but I'm at the biggest, and I want to continue my career here.

"We all want to stay at Athletic, we're happy. Moving to a different club is complicated, and I don't think that any of my teammates want to leave, because we're all happy."

Williams, a youth product of Athletic, often plays alongside 36-year-old Aritz Aduriz and said he sees the veteran striker as a role model.

"I need to improve in every aspect, I suppose," he said. "I still have a lot to learn. Aduriz is my professor; I pay a lot of attention to what he does, he is my point of reference, and he tries to help me.

"All of us [youngsters] are learning from the veterans, they help us a lot."

Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde is reportedly a potential successor to Luis Enrique at Barcelona but Williams would like to see him continue in his role beyond the summer.

"It would be a shame for me [if he leaves], because he's a great manager," Williams said. "The club, both the fans and us as players, is happy with what he has done here.

"We want him to continue. We don't think about whether he'll leave, or who might be the next coach, we just want to finish the season well, and that means finish in the European places."