Barcelona must overcome “inconvenience” to sign Nico Williams

Barcelona are aiming to sign a new left winger this summer, and one of their leading targets is Nico Williams. They tried to sign him in 2024, but despite being snubbed on that occasion, the Athletic Club man is now prioritising a move to Catalonia.

Williams will be someone to keep a close eye on during the second summer transfer window, which opens for business at the start of July. Bayern Munich see him as a top target, while he has also attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

But for now, his preference is to remain in Spain with Barcelona. However, it is far from guaranteed that he will seal a move to the La Liga champions before the end of the summer.

Luis Diaz is currently Barcelona’s preferred candidate for the left wing position, and according to MD, this is because Athletic are demanding Williams’ full release clause in order for a sale to take place – within Can Barca, this is seen as an “inconvenience”. €64m is the total amount that would need to be paid, and although Bayern and Arsenal reportedly prepared to pay this, the Catalans are not currently intending to do so.

Diaz would cost in the same region, but Barcelona believe that Liverpool would be open to accepting a more viable payment plan. As such, they continue to work on this deal, but they do have Williams in the background as a backup.

There is no doubt that Barcelona need to sell this summer in order to be able to afford a new winger, and this is especially the case for Williams considering that Athletic are not open to negotiations. For now, it remains to be seen how the situation plays out throughout the transfer window.