One of the worst-kept secrets in the transfer window is Barcelona’s pursuit of Nico Williams. The Catalan club has identified the 22-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger as their transfer priority ahead of next season.
Nico has been impressing in La Liga for quite some time now. Last season, he scored eight goals and provided 19 assists for the Basque club in 37 appearances across all competitions. He also played a starring role in his side’s Copa del Rey win.
However, the 22-year-old shot to the limelight with his performances for Spain in the recently concluded European championship. Nico was one of the stars of the tournament, scoring two goals and providing one assist in six appearances for La Roja.
Barcelona have been pushing to secure his signature and sporting director Deco has already held talks with the player’s entourage at Zaragoza last week. As per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Spanish club has now planned a new round of talks.
The journalist adds that the Blaugrana are only focussed on Nico in the transfer market at the moment. The club is keen on getting the green light from the player on contractual terms before attempting to trigger his release clause.
Once Barcelona can agree on a contract with the 22-year-old’s agent, it all comes down to whether the club has the financial ability to trigger his release clause which stands at around €58m. The club is yet to return to the 1:1 rule without which this signing might be impossible.
One thing that seems clear though is that the Spanish club seems to have a plan on how to sign the Athletic Bilbao star forward. If not, they might not be pushing this extensively to close out a deal and bring him to the club.
Nico is unlikely to have any issues adapting to Barcelona. He has been in the La Liga for quite some time now and is no stranger to the league. He also has his La Roja friends – Lamine, Balde, and Fermin who can help him settle into the club.
With every passing day, it looks like a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ Nico will join Barcelona. However, with our financial predicament, it is never over until it is truly over and we need to be patient as this saga takes its own course.
