(Football news) During the 2023–24 season, the 21-year-old displayed remarkable play for Athletic, making 37 appearances across all competitions, eight goals, and 19 assists.
Williams has also been a standout performer for Spain at Euro 2024, helping Luis de la Fuente’s team advance to the championship game with one goal and one assist.
His current Athletic contract has a release clause of approximately €55 million (£47 million), and other teams, including Chelsea and Liverpool, are rumored to be interested in hiring him.
Barcelona have long been regarded as the favourites, though, the Catalan outfit met with Williams’ agent Felix Tainta last week to discuss personal terms.
Williams ‘agrees’ personal terms with Barcelona
The report claims that the Catalan giants have an agreement in place with Williams over personal terms, while the length of the proposed contract has also been agreed.
The two clubs must now settle on a free, but it is likely that Athletic will want the attacker’s full release clause to be paid in order for him to leave this summer.
Williams will allegedly ‘not wait forever for Barca’, with a number of other clubs interested, but there is a belief that a deal will be completed at the start of August.
The forward has turned out for Athletic on 122 occasions in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and contributing 26 assists, and he will be bidding to help Spain beat England in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that Barcelona can afford to sign Williams despite their financial issues.
Laporta has talked-up a Barcelona move for Williams
“Economically speaking, we could commit to the signing of Nico Williams,” he recently told Catalunya Radio.
“Nico’s a player I like, I like him a lot. We are working with [coach Hansi] Flick on possible signings. Now we have to leave [sporting director] Deco to close the operations we are working on.
“Shortly we will be able to announce some good news with regard to the financial [issues] and we will be back within La Liga’s Fair Play limits. And that will allow further good news in terms of [signings].”
Barcelona will have to sell some first-team players this summer to balance the books, though, and Raphinha is currently being linked with a departure.
Newcastle United are said to be keen on the Brazilian, while there have also been suggestions that Ronald Araujo could leave in a big-money deal before the end of the transfer window.
Also read: England striker Harry Kane equals with Alan Shearer in Euro rankings
