Athletic Club winger Nico Williams was the subject of the biggest transfer saga in Spain last summer, with Barcelona pursuing him vehemently for a number of weeks. Dominating the headlines from before Euro 2024, the 21-year-old will not go through a similar saga this summer.
The Basque winger is still on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs this summer. Although Bayern Munich appear to have dropped out of the race for his services this summer, and Paris Saint-Germain have now signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Williams will not be short of offers. Liverpool and Chelsea have both been cited as potential destinations, but the two sides most closely linked are Barcelona and Arsenal.
The recovery time for Alejandro Balde is three weeks, so he will not be ready for the Copa del Rey final. The objective is for Balde to be 100% fit for the return leg of a hypothetical Champions League semi-final. @martinezferran
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 14, 2025
Mikel Arteta is a major fan of Williams, as he looks to continue his Basque revolution with the additions of the Athletic winger and Martin Zubimendi from their rivals Real Sociedad. Barcelona’s Director of Football Deco prefers Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, but the Blaugrana are still keen on Williams.
According to Sport, Williams has set a deadline by which he wants his future resolved. Any club that tries to sign him will need to pay Athletic his €60m release clause, but he is keen to have things done and dusted one way or another by the 15th of July, so that he can enjoy a full preseason with Athletic or a new club.
Recently it was reported that Barcelona were also keen to ensure the deal was done sooner rather than later, and will communicate in advance to Williams whether they can do the deal financially. The Blaugrana are back in a sticky situation with regards to their salary limit, amid uncertainty over the €100m deal for the lease of 475 VIP seats at Camp Nou. Barcelona have assured this will not be an issue, but their ability to make major signings this summer likely hinges on it.
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