Nico Williams Faces Huge Call On Proposed Barcelona' Move

Written by Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Nico Williams is expected to seal a summer move to Barcelona in coming days after turning down a move last season. All formalities have been checked with the Catalan giant willing to pay his full €58m release clause with Athletic Club not willing to negotiate it downwards. As per Marca, the Spanish international is worried over the club’s registration restriction as seen with Pau Victor and Dani Olmo due to their inability to return to the LaLiga 1:1 salary rule, a situation that Joan Laporta is currently working on resolving.

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Last summer, Barcelona were turned down by Nico Williams, who opted to remain at Athletic Club despite strong interest from the Catalans. This time, however, the 22-year-old is far more open to the move, and with personal terms already agreed, the transfer hinges solely on Barcelona activating his release clause.

Initially, the club hoped to negotiate a payment plan to cover the fee in instalments, but Athletic Club swiftly rejected that approach, insisting on the full amount upfront. As a result, Barcelona must pay €62 million, €58 million for the clause itself and an additional €4 million due to CPI adjustments in a single lump sum.

Despite their ongoing financial struggles, the La Liga champions remain confident that they can meet the payment and finalize the deal.

Read Also – What Barcelona’s Financial Struggles Could Mean To Their Title Aspirations

They now face a crucial financial hurdle as they look to finalize the signing of Nico Williams, who must be registered alongside new goalkeeper Joan Garcia, expected to take over as the club’s No. 1 next season. Despite president Joan Laporta’s reassurances that registration won’t be an issue, La Liga has confirmed that Barcelona have yet to return to the 1:1 financial rule, limiting their ability to freely register new players.

To comply with regulations and ensure Williams’ arrival, the club must first offload players, with Marc-André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Pablo Torre, and Ansu Fati among those considered potential departures.

However, whether Barcelona can complete the necessary sales in time remains uncertain. Given the club’s recent failed attempts to secure Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, it’s no surprise that Williams is demanding concrete assurances before making a final decision.

Regardless, he’s expected to sign his contract in coming days with the club looking to resolve the registration discrepancies.

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