Appearing Good With Spain At Euro 2024, Nico Williams Becomes Barcelona's Target

JAKARTA - Nico Williams has officially become Barcelona's target after the winger performed well with Spain at Euro 2024.

Los Cules president Joan Laporta announced on Monday, July 8, 2024, that the club will pursue the Athletic Bilbao player, Marca reported.

The player's arrival has become a dream, both Laporta and new manager Hansi Flick. However, Barcelona is worried about whether it has qualified financial capacity for such large transfers considering they are in financial trouble.

Although Laporta believes the Blaugrana are able to buy Williams, the team's financial capacity has its limits. They cannot compete with other top European clubs who are also interested in signing the 21-year-old player.

Nico Williams has a release clause of 58 million euros, a figure that cannot be negotiated. The Blaugrana is actually able to carry the tag.

The problem is, the real competition is about the player's salary. Barcelona may find it difficult to fight rich clubs.

The Catalan giants are aware of this and have no intention of getting involved in a bidding war, especially if Premier League clubs are involved.

Barcelona face stiff competition from Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, as well as the possibility of Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG, backed by Qatari countries, could offer Williams a much higher salary, which is a big challenge for Barcelona, especially after Kylian Mbappe left Paris.

No wonder Barcelona plans to take advantage of aspects outside of financial incentives. Clubs can offer a friendly atmosphere as Williams has a strong friendship with current Barcelona players, such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Ferran Torres.

This relationship can play an important role in persuading Williams to join. In addition, there is a fact that Barcelona can guarantee Williams gets regular positions on the left wing, the role currently vacant in their team.

On the other hand, at PSG, Williams will face stiff competition with players like Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola.

The certainty of this playing time is an important factor that can affect Williams towards Barcelona.

Although Barcelona offer various advantages, Williams' emotional ties with Athletic cannot be ignored.

The Basque club is famous for its strong emotional relationships with its players. There is a possibility that Williams chooses to stay with his current club.

Barcelona's pursuit of Nico Williams will be a challenging effort, with stiff competition from some of Europe's top clubs.

However, by taking advantage of the financial capacity, personal relationships, and guarantees of playing time, Barcelona hopes to secure the signing of the promising player.