FC BARCELONA SIGNINGS 2025
Signing at risk? Barça's doubts about Nico Williams
Published:15/06/2025 - 20:04h
Updated:15/06/2025 - 20:04h
The Barça board still doesn't clearly see the signing of Nico Williams. Although the winger is 'crazy' to wear the Blaugrana shirt, the operation is financially complex for the 'Culés'
The meeting between Deco and the representative of Nico Williams, Félix Tainta, reopened FC Barcelona's options to sign the Athletic Club winger. An operation that seemed discarded, with Luis Díaz being the best-profiled forward to reinforce the 'Culé' left flank.
In principle, the Blaugrana board sees the signing of the Colombian footballer as more feasible, beyond Liverpool's position to negotiate a transfer in the order of 70 million euros. Nico's clause remains at 58 'kilos', but Athletic demands its immediate payment to let him go.
With the 'Reds', however, a payment in installments can be agreed and the operation would have a much wider margin for negotiation. And it is that Liverpool is in no hurry to sell, while 'Lucho' is also willing to wait until the last days of the summer market for a Blaugrana offer.
The situation with the younger of the Williams, however, demands greater urgency. The '10' already closed the door to Barça last summer for delaying negotiations more than necessary.
This year, his position is less radical, but the 'Culé' board must understand that there are other clubs willing to pay his clause. In addition, relations between Athletic and the Blaugrana team are at one of their most tense moments.
Athletic's position: An impossible agreement?
For Athletic, the position regarding Nico's future is clear: the team that wants to sign him must pay the full amount of his clause immediately. The relationship between the Bilbao team and Barça has deteriorated in the last two years due to several factors, including Basque criticism of the Blaugrana team for the 'Negreira case'.
Both the fans and the board of the 'lions' lashed out at the 'Culés' since the scandal broke, although the investigations have not yet identified any guilt in Barcelona. Athletic also openly criticized the registration of Dani Olmo last January, alleging government interference in the case.
"A political body enters and authorizes it. These are strange things that we are not used to and the fans are not used to either", said the president of the Basque team, Jon Uriarte, at the time. Tensions between Barça and Athletic worsened last summer, when Nico himself made public his desire to sign for the Blaugrana team.
Therefore, if the 'Culés' want to secure the transfer of the younger of the Williams, they will have to do it in the same way as with Joan García: negotiating directly with the footballer and, subsequently, proceeding to pay his clause.
In addition, Athletic knows the interest of teams such as Bayern Munich and Arsenal, so they prefer to negotiate directly with both so as not to see their star shining in LaLiga with a direct rival. However, the winger has the last word and his agent has already made it clear to Deco the intention to play in Barcelona.
The economic obstacle: Can Barça pay Nico Williams?
As things stand, FC Barcelona may have an advantage in negotiations with the 22-year-old winger, but this changes nothing regarding the payment of his clause. Including the CPI, the operation amounts to 64 million euros, money that, for the moment, the club does not have to proceed.
The signing of Joan García left Barça short of cash and, although income is expected from other departures (Ter Stegen, Iñaki Peña, Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati...), these operations may take time to close.
Hence, before June 30, it is very difficult for the Blaugrana team to close the transfer of Nico Williams. The player will do everything possible to clear the way for the 'Culés', while Hansi Flick has already given the 'Ok' to his signing. Will this market novel have a happy ending?
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