With every passing minute, it looks increasingly likely that Nico Williams will be a Barcelona player next season. The 22-year-old Spanish winger is on cloud nine following his performances for Spain in the recently concluded Euros.
However, it is not like Nico has exploded on the international stage out of the Blue. The Athletic Bilbao winger had an excellent domestic campaign last season, scoring eight goals and providing 19 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. It is just that he had gone under the radar until the Euros.
The Basque club handed their academy graduate a new contract back in December which tied him to the club until 2027. However, the player did negotiate a release clause into his contract said to be around €58m, which makes him a plausible target for big clubs this summer. Transfermarkt already values the player at around €60m.
It is not often that you see a player have a release clause lower than his current valuation but Nico’s sudden rise to the spotlight has left Bilbao with no choice. This has prompted interest from many European clubs but Barcelona seem to be the frontrunner.
As per SPORT, the Spanish club is trying to wrap up a deal for the 22-year-old as soon as possible and is making strong moves in the market. Deco, Barca’s sporting director met with the player’s entourage in Zaragoza, which is halfway between Barcelona and Bilbao to discuss the contractual terms of the player.
This information was provided by journalist Gerard Romero who often comes up with explosive details about Barcelona in the transfer market. He most famously got it right in both the Kounde and Raphinha deals back in the 2022 summer when the entire world thought they were headed to Chelsea.
Whilst the journalist can sometimes be a hit-and-miss with his updates, this one seems more concrete with even reliable journalists like Fabrizio Romano picking this up. Thus, it’s safe to say that the Nico operation is in full swing.
The SPORT report adds that the meeting lasted for several hours in a hotel and that the meeting was specifically requested by Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who has already made his thoughts known on the club’s ability to sign the 22-year-old.
Nico Williams has emerged as the top priority for Barcelona and within reason. Pairing him with Lamine Yamal could provide Hansi Flick with one of the most terrorizing attacks in Europe at his disposal.
The duo has already weaved their magic in the Spanish national team and it looks like it won’t be long before we see them do the same in a Blaugrana shirt.
