Closer to Barça? Nico Williams is not travelling to Germany with Athletic and the rumours are rife

Nico Williams has not been called up by Ernesto Valverde for Athletic's last pre-season game, causing a tsunami of reactions to this surprising absence. The Blaugrana have immediately interpreted what happened, Nico could be closer than ever to signing for Barça.

The left-winger from Pamplona, ​​who recently joined the Basque team's dynamic in Lezama after taking a necessary period of vacation after being crowned champion of the European Championship with Spain, will not be in the squad for the friendly match this Saturday, August 10 against Stuttgart (MHPArena, 3:30 p.m.), which will be the last 'acid test' for Ernesto Valverde's team before the start of LaLiga EA Sports 24/25.

At this point, some uncertainty is beginning to arise around the striker's future. Although the decision to leave him out of the squad for the clash against the Germans could be due to the little training time the winger has had and the foreseeable lack of rhythm he is suffering from, it could also be interpreted as a sign that he is waiting to resolve his future.

FC Barcelona increasingly optimistic about signing Nico Williams

This situation is even more relevant after reports emerged suggesting that FC Barcelona have not yet given up on the player. Meanwhile, Joan Laporta has taken the reins of the negotiations with optimism, hoping that the Barcelona squad is getting closer to meeting its objectives in order to be up to date with the 1/1 rule and be in a position to face this signing with solvency.

At this point, the Catalan club is still in contact with the left winger's agent, which suggests that Barcelona still has serious chances of signing the youngest of the Williams brothers. Especially considering that there are still days left until the market closes, Barça could launch a final offensive to convince Nico, who for now is staying away from rumors, operations or decisions; he simply trains, keeps quiet and waits.