Rooney compares ‘exceptional’ Arsenal, Barcelona target to Ronaldo as England are sent major warning

Wayne Rooney has compared Nico Williams to a young Cristiano Ronaldo as he thinks England will need to be careful when defending the 22-year-old.

Spain have been a joy to watch throughout Euro 2024 and the likes of Williams and Lamine Yamal in particular have got people talking.

On the back of his impressive form for club and country, Williams is now being linked with plenty of top clubs from around Europe.

Barcelona have been heavily linked with the Athletic Bilbao star and he’s also attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea too.

Rooney has been impressed with the dynamic winger during Euro 2024 and he’s even drawn a comparison to his former teammate Ronaldo.

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“England will need to defend well on the flanks against Spain, because their brilliant two young wingers provide their main threat,’ Rooney told The Times .

“Lamine Yamal will be full of confidence after his brilliant goal against France and he reminds me a bit of how I was at Euro 2004 – a teenager having the time of his life.

“Fear? Young lads like him, Nico Williams and Mainoo haven’t lived long enough to know it or understand what it is.

“On the big stage of a European Championship they’re just playing and enjoying it and having fun, and normally that’s the best way to play the game.

“Williams, for me, is exceptional. He reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo when Cristiano was young.

“He’s a big lad, he’ll take the ball and sometimes tries too much but usually makes the right decisions.

“He is an incredible threat in one-on-one situations and scores goals as well. England need to be really careful with him.”

Williams has been one of the most enjoyable players to watch at Euro 2024 and England will need to stifle his threat if they want to lift the trophy on Sunday.

Kyle Walker will likely be the man responsible for keeping the 22-year-old quiet, but he’ll need some support from his teammates to keep the Athletic Bilbao star at bay.

While Barcelona’s interest in Williams seems to be the most concrete , Fabrizio Romano recently clarified that Arsenal and Chelsea are still keeping tabs on him.

“Arsenal appreciate the player a lot, but at the moment they’re not advancing negotiations,” Romano confirmed.

“They know how expensive he is. Chelsea are probably the biggest fans of Nico Williams but the only way they can sign him is if he reduces his salary request. At the moment, salary and release clause is considered a package too expensive for Chelsea.

“So at the moment they’re not going for Nico Williams but they appreciate him, and if the conditions change, he could be one of the big names for Barca and for Premier League clubs.”

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