Athletic Club’s Nico Williams has sparked interest from several top European clubs, especially after his standout performance at UEFA Euro 2024.
Last month, a report from CaughtOffside revealed that Williams has attracted interest from several top clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Williams will not come cheap to any club as he reportedly has a €58 million release clause. Moreover, with their financial situation, the question is whether Barcelona can afford to pursue the 22-year-old winger.
Now that the Euros are over, this file should progress faster even though the forward is under contract with Athletic Club until 2027. As a result, the La Liga side doesn’t need to sell unless a club pays his release clause and Williams agrees to leave.
On Monday, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano provided the latest update on the Williams file as he noted that Barcelona are ready to start discussions with Williams’ representatives this week, with the salary structure being a crucial factor in moving forward.
New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has given the green light to pursue the 2024 Euro winner as a top target for this summer. Timing is essential since Premier League clubs are also interested.
🔵🔴 Barcelona are prepared to advance in talks with Nico Williams' camp starting from this week, as salary structure is key factor to move forward.
Hansi Flick has already approved Nico as top target for this summer.
↪️🏴 Timing is key as Premier League clubs are also there. pic.twitter.com/udMO4ND6Ou
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 15, 2024
Moreover, La Liga president Javier Tebas recently stated that Barcelona would not face any financial hurdles in signing the player.
“Barça are really close to being able to afford Nico Williams release clause,” Tebas said. “They can pay those amounts if they are within the 1:1 standard… and it’s very close. It is a club that has close to 1B turnover, so they can be in that line.”
