It’s no secret now that the number 1 target of FC Barcelona this summer is Athletic Club’s 22-year-old winger Nico Williams. While the young player has gradually grown into one of the most threatening wingers in La Liga since his debut in 2021, his contribution to Spain’s victorious campaign at this Euros was the proper breakthrough in many’s eyes.
Interest in Williams was already high from several big clubs across Europe, who saw him as a talented player for the future. However, his impressive performances at the Euros have shown that he is ready for the next step now. Consequently, Barcelona have intensified their efforts to acquire the 22-year-old’s rights, and here are the reasons why he would be a perfect fit.
1. Special partnership with Lamine Yamal
Nico Williams x Lamine Yamal = Double Trouble. This is the formula we became familiar with during the Euros, and yeah, it is really that simple. Heading into the Euros, the major upgrade in the Spanish nation team was the incorporation of the two lightning-quick, explosive wingers into the starting lineup, and, as we could witness, it bore fruit in a continental trophy.
While both players are extremely pacy and great dribblers, there is a certain difference between the two’s profiles. Nico Williams likes to hold the width and engage in 1v1 duels, posing a genuine threat out wide for any defense with his quick feet and dribbling prowess, but is also dangerous with both feet when cutting to the goal.
On the other hand, Yamal is more of an inverted winger who likes to cut inside onto his stronger left foot and make use of his great vision and creativity through a gifted technique. What makes him even more special at the age of 17 is his maturity, shown in the constant focus and elite decision-making he manifests in the biggest moments, justifying why he is already one of the best in the world.
The chemistry between the two can be best summed up in the final opener when the two combined to give Spain the lead, with Yamal assisting Williams. While they complement each other wonderfully on the pitch, doubling down on their individual talent, their relationship off the pitch – shown perfectly in their celebration dances – is also an important factor that can be exploited to the best at Barça.
2. Unlocking others
Great dribblers are always highly sought-after profiles because of their ability to beat their opposition when marked, not needing any specific systemic help from their teammates to prevail. If the opposition does not realize this isolation mismatch, then it’s an obviously favorable duel that can be exploited by the attacking team. Williams shines in those.
But even if the defense realizes the threat the dribbler poses in a 1v1 situation and decides to commit an additional defender to help close down the dangerous winger, that means a free man somewhere else on the pitch. And if the team manages to find that man, it creates a numerical advantage that disrupts the stagnant play and puts them in a good position to evolve the attack.
With Nico’s tendency to stretch the play and take on defenders, drawing additional help from the opposition and thus creating more space in the inside areas, it takes some pressure off his peers and enables the midfielders to operate more easily in the central zones. This could highly benefit the likes of Pedri and Gündoğan, giving them more space to operate in dangerous attacking zones.
3. The best defense is a good offense
Might sound strange that an attacker can help the defense so much but reconsidering it, it’s very much real. The magnifying presence that such a gifted winger has – as explained at the previous point – often causes the defense to double in order to try to nullify the threat, and often that second player who helps out is the opposition winger.
While this could indeed be an efficient way to minimize the damages taken by the defensive team – certainly, Barça will be the one having most of the possession in most of the games – leaving the furthest and directly least dangerous player, the defender open, it also reduces the possibility of a dangerous counterattack in case of a turnover, with the opposition attacker starting from a deep position.
Nico’s presence could have a similar effect on opposing teams, potentially reducing the attacks Barcelona has to face and indirectly improving the defense of the Blaugrana while being an offensive weapon to always pay extra attention to. Thus, the young Spaniard’s gravity could lift the team on multiple levels – no wonder Barcelona is desperate to get his signature.
