Barcelona are keen to make a big-name attacking signing this summer, and a shortlist of targets has already been drawn up by sporting director Deco. Luis Diaz, Rafael Leao and Alexander Isak are among the players being considered, but one player that does not feature heavily in the thoughts of those at Can Barca is Nico Williams.
Last summer, Barcelona pushed very hard to sign Williams, before he ultimately turned down the chance to move from Athletic Club. However, he has remained on the club’s radar for 2025, although they would face strong competition from clubs in the Premier League, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
Those clubs have Williams high on their respective shortlists, but Barcelona do not. MD have provided further details on the situation, stating that the expectation is that no move will be made by the Catalan giants.
Barcelona were left very disappointed at Williams’ decision to turn down a move last summer, and this has left a bad taste in the mouth. Furthermore, club officials also see the 22-year-old as being at a lower level this time around, given that he has not had a particularly standout season with Athletic.
Finally, the institutional relations between Barcelona and Athletic have also had an impact. Last summer, the latter were very vocal in condemning the interest that was being shown in Williams, to the point where legal action was threatened if the Catalans activated the player’s release clause. On top of this, Los Leones have been one of the clubs outspoken about the Negreira case, and this has also soured the relationship.
Athletic will certainly not mind if Barcelona do not go for Williams, as their idea is to retain his services for many years to come. However, they could find it tough to stop him leaving for the Premier League.
