Nico Williams is aware that Barcelona’s interest in him has diminished, but he remains determined to leave Athletic next summer, whether it be for Barcelona or another top club.
His agent, Félix Tainta, has noticed this shift, as the enthusiasm Barcelona’s executives showed last summer for signing Williams is no longer present.
The move for Nico Williams is no longer seen as a priority, with two main factors at play. Firstly, the emergence of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha at Barcelona, both playing in positions similar to Williams. Secondly, Williams’ underwhelming performance at Athletic, with his statistics falling short compared to those of Barcelona’s two forwards.
Nico Williams has played 15 matches in LaLiga, contributing 1 goal and 3 assists.
In comparison, Lamine Yamal has scored 5 goals and provided 9 assists, while Raphinha has netted 11 goals and made 6 assists.
Lamine has 4 more goals and 6 more assists than Williams, while Raphinha has 10 more goals and 3 more assists.
Barça’s diminished interest in Nico Williams isn’t just due to his performance; the market offers more affordable and potentially more profitable options.
One such option is Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, who impressed with his performance against Real Madrid. Lookman provides more goals and assists than Williams and is significantly cheaper, both in terms of transfer fee and salary.
Additionally, Bayern Munich’s coach, Hansi Flick, believes that the arrival of Dani Olmo makes the signing of Nico Williams unnecessary.
Williams has picked up on this shift and now views a move to Barça as nearly impossible. He has instructed his agent to explore opportunities with other ambitious clubs.
Meanwhile, Williams has remained firm in refusing to renew his contract with Athletic to keep his release clause at €60 million.
His agent has been actively shopping him around, and several clubs, including Real Madrid, have shown interest. Although Madrid received the offer with surprise and considered it, Ancelotti is currently focused on offloading players and doesn’t need additional forwards.
At Barcelona, they were taken aback by Williams’s stance but understand that if the player sees no chance of joining them, he must look elsewhere for a move.
