It is no secret that Barcelona are looking to sign Athletic Club and Spain winger Nico Williams this summer, but with a sizeable €58m release clause required to do so, his future is far from certain. The Blaugrana intend to move things up a notch next week though.
Williams has been adamant that he will not engage with any sort of transfer talk until Euro 2024 is over, telling agent Felix Tainta to keep him in the dark. However Barcelona President Joan Laporta has been confident about their chances of signing him, despite their salary limit issues.
It's not ruled out that Ander Astralaga could leave on loan. The other goalkeeper behind Ter Stegen and Iñaki Peña is Diego Kochen, who's highly regarded too, is expected to have more prominence at Barça Atlètic. @scapde_45
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 14, 2024
Matteo Moretto has reiterated to Football España that while Barcelona still need to make a sale to be able to do a deal for Williams, but does say that from next week, they will move to find a definitive agreement on personal terms with the 21-year-old.
Previously, Moretto has informed that Williams would prefer to remain in Spain next season rather than head abroad, giving Barcelona a better chance of signing him, and Athletic a better chance of retaining him, despite the Premier League interest in him. Williams’ stock has risen exponentially this summer though, playing a key role in Spain’s path to the Euro 2024 final.
