Barça or Athletic? Nico Williams would have already made the final decision about his future

One of the 'soap operas' of the summer at FC Barcelona would have come to an end, with a negative outcome for the Barça entity. Nico Williams, the Catalan club's priority target in this transfer market, would have made the decision to stay at Athletic Club de Bilbao next season. The Blaugranas 'dreamed' of pairing him with Lamine Yamal after what the duo showed in the Euro Cup, but ultimately the Navarrese's wish would be to continue wearing the red and white shirt.

Last December, Williams signed a contract extension with the Basque club for three more years until 2027 and, if his decision is confirmed, he would fulfill the plan he has had since signing that agreement. The reason behind the 22-year-old attacker's decision to remain in Bilbao would be the 'dream' of playing in the Europa League with his childhood team, with the incentive that the final of the tournament will be held in San Mamés.

Although the footballer has not yet confirmed or communicated his final decision to the clubs, both Can Barça and the Basque Country already assume that, barring an unexpected last-minute turn, Nico will continue under the orders of Ernesto Valverde during the season. 2024/25 campaign. This is reported by 'The Athletic', where they maintain that both institutions are already working and planning their squads taking into account this more than possible scenario.

From the Spotify Camp Nou offices they were already prepared to pay the amount of his termination clause, which is valued at 58 million euros. In fact, the culé sports director, Deco, decided not to join the other club directors on the preseason tour of the United States to remain in Spain and monitor the situation, waiting for the 'green light' from the footballer to carry out the payment of your transfer. Now, these funds would be used to sign another 'star' to reinforce the team's attack.

Barça would be clear about its 'plan B'

Barça sources would have confirmed that the club's chances of signing Williams have been reduced in recent days, so they would already have several alternatives on the agenda. Dani Olmo heads the Blaugrana list, but the Catalan institution is still far from reaching an agreement with RB Leipzig, who have referred to the 60 million euros at which the Egarense's termination clause was valued. Rafael Leao appears as another option as he is one of Laporta's great dreams, but signing him is practically impossible due to the high demands of AC Milan. It remains to be seen how the culés react to Nico's rejection.