Nico Williams-FC Barcelona: the "soap opera" of summer (and autumn, winter and spring...)

Will Nico Williams sign for FC Barcelona? Although the summer transfer window 2024/25 has already concluded a few days ago, the potential arrival of the left winger in Barcelona continues to fuel the rumor mill of some media outlets. It seems they haven't had enough of the lamentable spectacle offered this summer and still want more. 

Despite the younger Williams brother ultimately staying at Athletic Club, there is still a feeling in the air that Nico will end up signing for the Blaugrana team. However, that will happen in the summer of 2025. Considering we are in the early days of September, the "Nico Williams soap opera" threatens once again to accompany us for months as an easy resource whenever there is an international break.

The possible arrival of Nico kept Barcelona fans on edge

It's worth remembering that the addition of the Spanish international was a recurring topic throughout the summer. An issue that even generated a certain climate of institutional hostility between both clubs and essentially gained much traction for one reason: Nico Williams' silence, who spent the entire summer transfer window neither confirming nor denying anything.

This situation divided opinions. On one side were those questioning why, if he was staying at the Basque side, he didn't come out to deny the rumors to put an end to any speculation. On the other side were those who preferred to believe that all this secrecy could be due to negotiations with the Barcelona club that would eventually bear fruit, allowing him to be announced as a new player for the Catalan team.

At this point, the latter statement seemed to have a higher chance of becoming reality. Economic figures offered, contract duration, and even the potential official announcement date of the transaction were leaked. A series of details that tragically ended and only served to give false hope to the Blaugrana fans, who anticipated the final blow and confirmation of Nico Williams' signing.

Culé fans 'quickly forgot' about the winger

However, the bitter pill of not signing Nico lasted rather briefly. Why? Everything was overshadowed by Barcelona's excellent start to the season under Hansi Flick, who, although not acquiring the desired left winger, managed to assemble a competitive attacking line led by the unmatched Lamine Yamal. Additionally, the spectacular debut of Dani Olmo, the return of the best version of Lewandowski, and the unexpected emergence of a highly motivated Raphinha pushed Nico Williams into absolute obscurity.

What hasn't been forgotten is the resentment of a sector of the Barcelona fanbase towards Nico. And it's not just talk; during his recent visit to Montjuïc, Williams received boos from a section of the Culés supporters, disappointed that he didn't end up joining the Barcelona team.

Nico Williams, an open-ended saga until 2025?

Nevertheless, in this 'soap opera,' extensive and controversial as it may be, it seems there are still more chapters to come, especially when Nico himself says: "no one knows what will happen in the future" and emphasizes that he will be "one more year," suggesting that this story is not over yet. In fact, SPORT has jumped back on the bandwagon at full speed, once again hinting that FC Barcelona has not ruled out Nico Williams as a target for June 2025.

The Barcelona-based newspaper claims that Barça continues with the initial roadmap before his stellar performance at the Eurocup. It asserts that they will try to sign him unless the Pamplona native renews his contract or changes his current release clause, set at €58 million plus another four in IPC.

It further reveals that next summer will provide a perfect scenario for a negotiation that satisfies all parties: Athletic Club would receive a tempting sum and could argue to their fans that they managed to retain him for a season. The player, as he could leave with the clear conscience of fulfilling his duties and leaving a significant sum in the coffers, and finally, the Blaugrana team, which would have a year to organize their finances.

Now, the question remains: will it happen this time? For now, it's not entirely clear; we'll have to see how things unfold in the coming months and if everything aligns for a signing that, if Nico can maintain the good form displayed at the Eurocup, would be exciting.