Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Catalans want Nico Williams, club suffer Guido Rodriguez blow, and more - June 1, 2024
Barcelona endured a disappointing season under Xavi, surrendering the La Liga title as well as the Spanish Supercup to Real Madrid. The Catalans decided to part ways with the Spaniard after the last game of the campaign and have since replaced him with Hansi Flick.
Meanwhile, the Spanish giants are eager to take Nico Williams to the Camp Nou. Elsewhere, the Blaugrana could miss out on Guido Rodriguez this summer.
On that note, let's look at the major Barcelona transfer stories from June 1, 2024.
Barcelona want Nico Williams
Barcelona have identified Nico Williams as a priority target for the summer, according to journalist Albert Fernandez. The Catalans are looking for a new left-winger this summer and have had their eyes on the Spaniard for a while. Williams has caught the eye with Athletic Bilbao in recent seasons and helped them with the Copa Del Rey this year.
The 21-year-old finished the campaign with eight goals and 17 assists from 37 games. His efforts have turned heads at multiple clubs across the continent. Although the player signed a new deal only last year, he is expected to be on the move this summer. Williams reportedly has a €60m release clause in his deal, which, however, could pose a problem for the La Liga giants.
Catalans suffer Guido Rodriguez blow
Barcelona have suffered a setback in their plans to sign Guido Rodriguez this summer. According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid have entered the race to sign the Argentine. Rodriguez's contract with Real Betis is set to expire next month and the Catalans are hoping to sign him as a free agent.
The La Liga giants are looking for a new pivot midfielder this year and have zeroed in on the 30-year-old. The club's poor finances also make Rodriguez the ideal signing this summer. However, recent reports have suggested that Barcelona could be running out of time to complete a move.
The player reportedly had a gentleman's agreement to move to Camp Nou, but it expired on Friday, May 31. The Catalans are unsure if they can register the player ahead of the new season due to financial constraints. The door is now open for other clubs to take advantage and that is exactly what Los Rojiblancos are trying to do.
Hansi Flick was desperate for Camp Nou job, says Fabrizio Romano
Hansi Flick was eager to take charge at Camp Nou this summer, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. Barcelona announced the German as their next manager earlier this year.
Flick will be taking over from Xavi, who was removed from his post after the final game of the season due to some controversial comments. The German was also linked with Bayern Munich and Chelsea before he was handed the keys to the Catalans first team squad.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano confirmed that the Bavarians did consider Flick, but rubbished reports linking him to the Blues.
“Flick attracted speculation for some time before finally ending up at Barca, so I wanted to clarify some details here. It’s true that he was a concrete option for Bayern, they decided to go for different kind of coach in the end, going for a younger manager with Kompany, but Flick was on the list," wrote Romano.
He continued:
“However, there was never any contact with Chelsea – despite rumours, Flick and Tuchel were never in negotiations. Flick really wanted the Barcelona job, it was his dream and so talks with English clubs were never concrete as he was really hoping and waiting for a call from Barca president Joan Laporta.”
Flick enjoyed great success during his brief stint with Bayern Munich and will be hoping to repeat the trick with the Spanish giants.