According to Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona are making every effort to sign the
Athletic Bilbao (soccer team)
of 22-year-old winger Nico Williams. Nico himself has shown strong interest in joining the Red and Blue. However
Barcelona
A number of financial issues needed to be resolved before the deal could be struck.
Barça will first need to reach a new sponsorship deal with Nike as soon as possible, which is expected to generate huge revenues for the club, including signing bonuses of up to 150 million euros and a variable income of at least 90 million euros per season. In addition, Barça will need to reach an agreement with the Barça Vision project to ensure that La Liga recognizes Barça's return to the 1:1 financial fairness rule, so that player signings can be made properly.
In order to pay Nico's €58 million default fee at Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona will also need to raise funds by selling some of their players. Last week, Barcelona president Laporta confirmed earlier reports that Barcelona were in a position to make a deal for Niko. However, with the Athletic Bilbao president accusing Barca of "bombing" Niko, Laporta chose to be more cautious this Monday and said he had the utmost respect for Athletic Bilbao.
Nico Williams has made it clear that he wants to wear the Barcelona shirt next season and play alongside national team friends such as Yamal, Gavi and Firmin. However, Barcelona face strong competition for the Spanish international. Both Chelsea and Arsenal have shown strong interest in Nico and are willing to pay his default fee.
Chelsea's new manager Maresca has prioritized bringing in Nico, while Arsenal are also looking to bolster their forward line by signing him. However, Chelsea and Arsenal also need to sell some players first to fulfill the requirements of the Financial Fairness Policy. This is the same situation as Barcelona, but with Nico himself wanting to join them, Barcelona have the edge in this race. Unless Barcelona are unable to complete the signing in time, the chances of other clubs will be slim.
Barcelona fans are looking forward to the signing of Nico Williams, hoping that the club will be able to successfully resolve their financial issues and welcome the young talent. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Nico's movements, ready to make a bid at the right time.
