Barcelona's Nico Williams CONFESSION puts Spain ace on the market

Robin Bairner

• 20 Nov 2024 14:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have made a brutal confession about Nico Williams that will be of interest to Arsenal, Chelsea and a host of clubs interested in the Spain winger.

Nico Williams was one of the most sought-after players in the summer transfer market of 2024. With a release clause of just €58 million in his Athletic Club contract, the 22-year-old winger was widely seen as a potential bargain. This was especially the case after he produced stellar displays at Euro 2024.

Barcelona were one of the clubs who were most interested in Nico. Interest from the Premier League was led by Arsenal and Chelsea while PSG also tracked his fortunes from Ligue 1.

In the end, Barca seemed to be in pole position to land a superstar addition. No deal was done, with Nico pledging his loyalty to Athletic.

STATS

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

Nico Williams

M (L)

Athletic

La Liga

2024/25

• 7

  Games

• 1

  Goals

• 0

  Assists

View all stats

Nico Williams: Barca’s financial problems block deal

Enric Masip, a top official at the Blaugrana, has now admitted that his side simply could not afford to sign the player.

Asked by El Chiringuito why Nico Williams escaped the club, he replied: “Well, that's a part that sports management takes care of. If a player who is of interest to you, then he does not want to move, you do not have much margin either. You can't do a lot of things either.”

Masip did not deny that one of the reasons Nico turned down the deal was because of the club’s financial hardship.

“I don't know so much detail,” he admitted. “But it's hard for me to believe that if you were going to sign Nico Williams you weren't going to be able to register him. Barca were not going to pay €50-60 million for a player if they were not going to be able to play him.”

What next for Nico Williams?

Nico Williams will again be on the transfer market in the summer of 2025, with a January switch entirely unlikely.

He has reached a career-high Estimated Transfer Value of €51m, which is only €7m short of his release clause. Should a club bid €58m, Athletic will be powerless to stop their key man departing.

Barcelona are likely to revisit the case, buoyed by a new deal with Nike, which is expected to change the landscape of their transfer window, making one or two major deals possible. This has not, however, been confirmed by LaLiga.

Interest remains in England. Arsenal are still looking for wide options and could see Nico as a valuable addition to their squad, while Chelsea would no doubt consider a move if they can free up space in their squad.

Athletic are still holding out on the possibility of Nico Williams signing a new contract, yet a summer move still appears likely, with Barcelona still in pole position.