🚨 Was Nico Williams’ friendship with Lamine a factor in making his path to Barça easier? Deco: “No, because Nico’s name was already on the table last season, the idea of signing him has always been there. Their friendship is a nice bonus, but we don’t give any player a free pass just because of personal relationships. This isn’t a club for friends — we’re here to work and to win. If they have good chemistry, that’s great. What truly matters is whether a player fits the philosophy and ideas we’re looking for.”

Barcelona close to signing Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao 🇪🇸

Today sees major developments as Nico Williams has formally informed Athletic Bilbao of his desire to leave and move to Barcelona. The Catalans are reportedly preparing to activate his release clause, widely believed to be between €58M–€64M (cadenaser.com).

🔥 What’s fueled the drama?

• Despite Athletic’s attempt to tie him down with a new contract, Williams and his camp feel it’s time for a new challenge — and they’ve made that known to the club .
• Barcelona, led by Deco and president Joan Laporta, seem prepared to pay the clause in full, though some critics have slammed the public nature of the announcement, saying it’s disrespectful to Athletic (cadenaser.com).
• Talks between Deco and Williams’ agent reportedly began mid-June, with a tentative personal deal agreed: a contract running until 2031 and wages around €7–8M per season (as.com).

⚠️ Key sticking point: financial fair play
Barcelona remain cautious due to La Liga’s 1:1 salary rule. Registration hinges on securing funds—either via sales or creative accounting—and they’re working on it (as.com).

Opposition & Alternatives

• Athletic Bilbao has insisted that the full release clause must be paid upfront, refusing installment plans — a stance they’ve used before to thwart Barcelona’s moves (cadenaser.com).
• Meanwhile, Bayern Munich lurks as a potential alternative destination; Athletic reportedly prefers selling to them due to better financial terms (bavarianfootballworks.com).

🔮 What’s next?
Barcelona are optimistic they can register Williams once the clause is paid, believing the deal to be “a matter of time” (footballtransfers.com). But finalization depends on balancing the books and Athletic’s insistence on full payment.

Why it matters

• Tactical boost: Williams (22) offers explosive pace and direct dribbling, complementing Hansi Flick’s style and forming a potent duo with Lamine Yamal (worldsoccertalk.com).
• Emotional twist: Publicly declaring his intent to leave has stirred emotions in Bilbao — with murals vandalized and a sense of betrayal among fans (aftonbladet.se).
• Transfer reckoning: Barcelona’s pursuit tests both their financial discipline and negotiation front, revealing cracks in how they handle sensitive moves.

TL;DR:

• Nico Williams wants out → told Athletic he’ll trigger his release clause to join Barça (reddit.com).
• Barça ready to pay €58–64M, though payment logistics and La Liga rules remain a challenge (barcablaugranes.com).
• Athletic digs in → insists on full payment; Bayern expresses interest .
• Next steps → clause must be paid, Barça needs registration room. Announcement could come once both are done .