Last summer, Nico Williams of Athletic Club was at the center of transfer rumors, attracting interest from major clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.
After a standout 2023-24 season, where he made 37 appearances and played a key role in Athletic Club’s Copa del Rey triumph, Williams also contributed to Spain’s success at UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.
This season, the 21-year-old has registered two goals and five assists in 22 appearances across all competitions. According to The Athletic, Williams is becoming increasingly open to the idea of moving abroad.
Barcelona are aware of the conditions for a potential transfer, but the decision rests with Williams, who reportedly has a €58 million release clause.
In the Premier League, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Chelsea are all monitoring him as a summer target. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested, with PSG having reached out to his representatives last summer.
Joan Laporta offers an honest take on Barclona’s interest in Nico Williams
Club members asked Barcelona president Joan Laporta questions about the club’s current situation. One member voiced concerns about possible registration challenges with Dani Olmo and inquired how the club would have handled registering Nico Williams if they had signed him last summer.
“We never said we would sign him, we said we could make a deal of that magnitude,” Laporta said (h/t Barca Universal). “And we made a slightly smaller operation with Dani Olmo, who cost about €48 million.
“The sporting management thought it was more important to sign Olmo than other players. We have temporarily registered him and hope to do so definitively. There are always doubts about registrations, but in the end, we always manage to register them.”
