Change of plans? Barcelona shows its position regarding the possible signing of Nico Williams

The FC Barcelona experienced a rather turbulent summer regarding the case of Nico Williams. Why? Because it was expected that the Blaugrana team could acquire the services of the talented 22-year-old left winger from Pamplona. However, that negotiation ended up stalled, mainly due to the uncertainty surrounding the Blaugrana's ability to register players in LaLiga due to financial restrictions. Subsequently, it was also argued that the player's own desire, the influence of Athletic Club, and his family contributed to his decision to stay one more year wearing the jersey of the Basque team.

Ultimately, Barcelona has benefited from this situation, as Hansi Flick has given Raphinha the opportunity to establish himself on the left flank. The Porto Alegre native has responded spectacularly, becoming one of the club's top scorers and assist providers this season: 12 goals and 10 assists in 17 matches.

In a way, this has helped to 'forget' that Barcelona was unable to sign one of the most promising talents currently, especially due to the option of forming a duo with the young star from the Blaugrana academy, Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona's stance on the potential signing of Nico Williams

Now, apparently, although the signing of Nico Williams still interests the Blaugrana, as long as the current contractual conditions are maintained, including a buyout clause of €62 million. However, this interest does not seem to be as strong as it was initially. This was affirmed by the sports director of Barcelona, Deco, in an interview with 'Mundo Deportivo'. Among other things, Deco had the opportunity to discuss the situation regarding the potential signing of Nico Williams.

The Portuguese executive confirmed that there was indeed interest from Barça in acquiring the services of Nico Williams. However, he highlighted that this interest was significantly affected by the events surrounding his case and the subsequent 'rejection' of the Pamplona native towards Barcelona. "Nico is a player that we were interested in during the summer, that we tried to sign, but from there, the player made a decision and life goes on," Deco began to say.

"We brought in Dani Olmo, who was the priority because we didn't have this player in the squad. The idea with Nico was to have another player up front to compete because we wanted high-level competition, but at the moment the player shows that he is not interested in coming, we no longer talk about it," the Portuguese concluded.

Has Barça completely ruled him out?

At this point, it is necessary to consider the strength of this statement from Deco, who acts as one of the main representatives of Barcelona regarding signings, being part of the sports management. This question is especially relevant, given that Barça has been exploring other options in the market, such as Rafael Leão from AC Milan and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli, to strengthen the left winger position.

However, it is important to remember that the Athletic Club has not assured the continuity of Nico Williams beyond the next season, despite having a contract with the club until 2027. This leaves his future quite uncertain. Although Barcelona's interest in the forward may have diminished, he remains an attractive asset for other clubs on the continent.