“Your way of playing is ideal for Bernabeu” - Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly tells Spain star to join Real Madrid after Nations League final
Cristiano Ronaldo has advised Nico Williams to join Real Madrid, according to Defensa Central. The Spanish forward has been in red-hot form for Athletic Bilbao in recent years and registered 11 goals and seven assists from 45 games this season.
Williams was heavily linked with an exit from San Mames in the summer of 2024, but ended up staying. His future with the Basque club remains uncertain this summer as well, and he has previously been linked with Los Blancos and Barcelona.
The 22-year-old has also enjoyed a good spell with his national team. Williams helped Spain win the Euro 2024, scoring in the final, and was part of the team that lost to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final last week.
Following the game, Cristiano Ronaldo was seen deep in conversation with Williams. It is now being rumoured that he advised the player to move to the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese superstar reportedly said:
"Your way of playing is ideal for the Bernabéu. You are going to succeed there. You have to go to Real Madrid."
Interestingly, Williams may not be guaranteed regular game time if he joins Los Blancos this summer. Even if Rodrygo leaves the LaLiga giants, they still have Vinicius Junior, who operates in Williams' favoured left forward position.
Meanwhile, Williams is under contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2027 and reportedly has a €60m release clause in his deal. Real Madrid have already invested a reported €45m in Franco Mastantuono this summer, and may not be too keen to splash the cash on the Spaniard.
When did Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid?
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United. The LaLiga giants reportedly paid a then-world-record fee of €94m to secure his signature.
The Portuguese superstar would go on to become one of the club's greatest ever players. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 451 goals from 438 games during his nine-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and is Los Blancos' record goalscorer.
Cristiano Ronaldo won 16 trophies with Real Madrid before leaving in the summer of 2018. Juventus reportedly paid €112m for his services, and the Portuguese went on to spend three seasons at Turin.
He briefly returned to Manchester United for a second stint at Old Trafford in 2021, but it didn't live up to expectations. The 40-year-old left the Red Devils in December 2022 to move to Al-Nassr and currently plays for the Saudi club.