SIGNINGS: This is how the FC Barcelona transfer market is for 2024-2025

The chapter of possible signings for Barça for next season continues to be dominated by three players: Nico Williams, Dani Olmo and Mikel Merino. Although it is not ruled out that some more reinforcements may arrive, as of today these three players are the club's priority objectives. In this sense, it is expected that this week will be decisive and progress can be made in the negotiations and some of the operations underway can be closed. The sports management has several fronts open both in the chapter of arrivals and departures and both are so connected that, in order to buy, you must first sell.

Below we analyse the state of the FC Barcelona 2024-2025 transfer market, which is full of excitement and optimism, but also impatience and nerves, lots of nerves.

Nico Williams: The signing

Nico Williams is Barcelona's number one target

FC Barcelona's first big signing this season could be Nico Williams. The striker is their number one target and could arrive at Camp Nou from Athletic Club, however, the Basque team's board is trying to prevent this and is refusing to negotiate a single euro of his 62 million euro release clause.

• BREAKING NEWS: All the latest news on Nico Williams

Nico Williams is currently one of the best strikers in Europe, and if he lands in Barcelona he would be the perfect antidote to Kylian Mbappé's signing for Real Madrid. In addition, he would form one of the best attacking pairs on the continent alongside Lamine Yamal.

Athletic's intention is not to sell their big star now, but to try to renew his contract and wait until next summer, 2025, when he would have a clause to leave the team that is much higher than the current one. Although the winger has not yet spoken about his future, the conversations between Barça's sporting director, Deco, and his representatives seem to be going well and the final outcome could occur this week.

Dani Olmo: The factor X

Dani Olmo in a match with Leipzig

The signing of the Leipzig player does not seem, a priori, to be an essential or strategic reinforcement, but it represents a great market opportunity and would undoubtedly be the "icing on the cake" for Hansi Flick's Barça.

• BREAKING NEWS: All the latest news on Dani Olmo

The Blaugrana board and the player are confident that they can reach an agreement for his transfer, set at 60 million euros. Despite the fact that the release clause expired on July 20, the German team refuses to lower its price, but everything could change if the player stands firm and insists on his departure.

At the moment, the race for Dani Olmo's signing seems to have been reduced to just two teams: FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but everything indicates that the Blaugrana team is clearly in the lead. Other interested clubs are Arsenal and Manchester City, however, neither of the two clubs have submitted an offer, so it seems to be only a matter of time before we see Dani Olmo wearing the Blaugrana shirt.

Mikel Merino: The essential signing

Mikel Merino could be the pivot that Barça is looking for

Mikel Merino has been on FC Barcelona's radar for some time now and it seems that he is the favourite midfielder to reinforce the team's most important and strategic position. He is an 'ideal' addition due to his characteristics: good vision, tactical intelligence, good ball control, good attacking ability and he would also contribute defensive work to the team.

• BREAKING NEWS: All the latest news on Mikel Merino

For now, Mikel Merino is still on holiday and is due to join Real's pre-season on 5 August. The midfielder only has one year left on his contract, a key factor in the Basques being open to negotiating his transfer at a reasonable price.

Barça must remain alert to the competition from teams such as Atlético de Madrid and Arsenal in the 'war' to complete the acquisition of the Pamplona native. However, so far, it seems that none of these rivals have managed to make significant progress in the negotiations for the player.