While the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, said on Monday that they could allow the signing of the alerts of the Athletic Club Nico Williams Immeidately, it would be fair for Blaugrana fans to err on the side of caution given their transfer windows in recent years. While Barcelona may have an advantage in the race for Williams, he does not expect them.
Nico Williams prefers Barcelona to any other move but wants his future settled soon. If not, he can stay at Athletic Bilbao. He respects his current side and wants them to have enough time to find a replacement. @tjuanmarti
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 9, 2024
Williams, 21, is not currently discussing his future as he focuses on Euro 2024, telling his agent to keep him in the dark. However, there will only be a small window for Barcelona, or Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, to complete the deal. Ace for Sport, While Williams has not set a specific deadline, he does not want to hold out for a last-minute transfer. Any move will have to be sealed probably in July, as he does not want to leave the Athletic Club in the lurch.
The Catalan daily goes on to say that if Williams returns from his holidays and starts training with Athletic, the chances of him staying in Bilbao increase significantly. The ball is now in the court of Barcelona to be able to activate the release clause and offer Williams a contract in the necessary time. It is likely that he will return from vacation towards the end of July.
Rivals Barcelona are likely to be able to offer Williams a deal immediately after the Euros, and while Laporta appears confident of his ability to do the same, it is very different from most of the reports surrounding the club. Athletic, on the other hand, are confident they can convince Williams to stay at the club this summer, partly because of doubts over Barcelona's ability to strike a deal.
