Barcelona’s Progress on Signing Spain’s Bright Star

Nico Williams may want to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother, Inaki, who was developed at the Athletic Club’s academy and is now a regular for the first team. However, the lack of opportunities for Williams forced him to make a move and join Villarreal on a loan deal before signing permanently. Whether Barcelona will come in the way of Williams’ desire to continue his development at Athletic Club remains to be seen.

Barcelona step on accelerator for Nico Williams

Barcelona endured a difficult 2024/25 season on the pitch. They were fit enough to compete as long as all their first-team players were available for selection. But they found themselves struggling with a spate of injuries. And dearth of options further compounded their struggles.

The Spanish giants are determined to respond by bringing in quality signings in the summer transfer window, the bulk of it towards the top end of the pitch. Florin Balogun is already at Camp Nou, while the latest reports suggest Barcelona are edging closer to securing the services of Spain winger Nico Williams.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Williams has already given his approval to the Catalan giants regarding the personal terms of a long-term contract. However, a deal with Villarreal is still pending as the Yellow Submarine are adamant about their asking price being paid in full.

Williams is valued at €60 million, but the Catalan side have pegged his price tag at €50 million. Despite their negotiation with the Yellow Submarine, Barcelona have been acting opportunistically in the transfer market and have indeed pushed for a move for Williams.

A bizarre move for Barcelona?

Williams, one of world football’s finest talents, has become a hot thinking point for Barcelona and their fans over the past few weeks. Williams, meanwhile, is currently plying his trade at the Athletic Club and wants to continue his development at the club.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have been pursuing the 21-year-old’s signature for a long time now. The Blaugrana are ready to promote Williams straight into the first-team setup and have promised guaranteed minutes to convince the 21-year-old winger to join them. However, Williams has remained resolute in his desire to stay at Athletic Club, which means Barcelona could now move on to other targets.

It remains to be seen if Barcelona can accomplish a deal for the Spanish prospect, or if they decide to turn their backs on Williams and forge ahead with their plan for Williams. At this stage, however, it CERTAINLY appears that Barcelona will fail in their efforts, which may result in Espanyol or Villarreal swooping in to take full advantage of the situation.