Barcelona Push for Nico Williams After Wrapping Up Joan García Deal
Barcelona’s summer transfer business is gathering pace. With the signing of Joan García from Espanyol now complete, all eyes have turned to Nico Williams. The 22-year-old Athletic Club winger is firmly in Barça’s sights, and despite the financial hurdles, the Catalan club remain confident of getting the deal over the line.
Williams has a €58 million release clause, and sources close to the club insist they can pay it. The bigger issue is finding the room to fit his salary into their current wage structure—something that has proved problematic for Barça in recent windows.
Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea had shown strong interest in Williams throughout 2025, but both sides have cooled their pursuit in recent weeks. Bayern Munich were also in the race, and had positive early discussions with his representatives. However, the German champions are now on standby after the winger made it clear that his preference is a move to Barcelona.
In terms of personal terms, there’s little left to sort out. According to Cadena SER, the contract conditions that were previously agreed with Williams will still stand if a move goes ahead this summer. The only possible change would be extending the deal to six years rather than five. Meanwhile, El Chiringuito reports that Williams is expected to earn between €6 million and €7 million net per season, with performance-related bonuses included.
Barcelona reportedly intend to trigger the release clause in the coming weeks, and aim to have the deal completed before their preseason begins on 13 July. However, as always with Barcelona in recent years, registering the player is a separate issue that hinges on their ongoing salary cap constraints.
Back in Bilbao, Athletic Club are keeping a close watch on the situation. The Basque side have seen this before—Barcelona’s interest in Williams last year didn’t materialise into a concrete bid, largely due to financial complications. While there is no immediate panic, Athletic remain unconvinced that Barça can both activate the clause and successfully register him.
If the move fails to materialise again, there could be a new twist. Sources suggest Williams may be open to renewing his contract with Athletic, who have already put forward a proposal to raise his wages and increase his release clause. His current deal runs until 2027.
Whether he ends up in Barcelona or commits to a new chapter in Bilbao, Williams is at the centre of one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer sagas.
