La Liga club unwilling to sell Spanish star linked with a summer move to Barcelona - Reports
La Liga side Athletic Club are unwilling to part ways with Spanish forward Nico Williams amid interest from Catalan giants Barcelona, according to Marca. The 21-year-old has been on Barca's radar since the start of the season, as they look to improve their attacking depth in the summer.
A product of Athletic's academy, Williams made the jump to their senior team as a 19-year-old in 2021. His brother Inaki is one of the longest-serving players in the club's history, having made 420 appearances across 10 seasons (100 goals, 57 assists).
Nico spent his first senior season majorly coming off the bench but became an established starter over the last two seasons. The 2023-24 campaign has been his best so far, with seven goals and 16 assists in 35 games in La Liga and Copa del Rey.
He bagged a goal and an assist each against Barcelona in the quarterfinals and Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. He assisted Oihan Sancet's equalizer in the final, as Athletic went on to beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties to lift the trophy.
In November 2023, Williams signed a contract extension till 2027, with a release clause of around €55 million included in the new deal. After Athletic's cup triumph and Europa League qualification secured for next season, their sporting director Mikel Gonzalez clarified that they would only look to improve their squad rather than weaken it.
With their financial woes still unsolved and Athletic unwilling to negotiate, Barcelona are stuck in a difficult situation in their pursuit of the young Spaniard.
Fabrizio Romano provides update on main factor that could break down Nico Williams' move to Barcelona
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the main factor that could lead to the collapse of Athletic Club forward Nico Williams' move to Barcelona.
The 21-year-old has been widely rumoured to be the Catalan giants' top transfer target in the summer, but there is a major factor that could prevent them from making a move.
Romano has claimed that Barca might be forced to reconsider their options due to the 21-year-old's rumoured €200,000-a-week wages at Athletic Club. He also suggested that Williams would demand a wage increase at his next club, which could discourage many clubs from making a move for his services.
Speaking to The Daily Briefing on Williams' situation, the Italian said (via Football Espana):
"I’m not aware of talks so far but Nico [Williams] has really many suitors. Barcelona, English top clubs and not only… there’s lot of interest. I’m still told all the clubs are waiting to understand the financial package wanted by the player in terms of commission and salary. Barca appreciate him but it’s still early stages."
Barcelona will either have to make some shrewd financial moves to create an opportunity to sign Williams, or pivot to a backup option in the upcoming transfer window. Either way, it will be a big challenge for the Blaugrana administration to figure out a way to balance their books while keeping themselves active in the market.