The 7 'cracks' worth 60 million that FC Barcelona can sign if Nico Williams fails

FC Barcelona will face the last month of the current summer transfer market without yet being sure that they will be able to complete the signing of Nico Williams. The Navarrese could still decide to continue for another year at Athletic Club, even with a new renewal, so the Catalans would look at other options with the idea of ​​making a key signing with the 60 million they already have earmarked to pay the forward's clause.

Although right now the most direct option is Dani Olmo, the reality is that in the Barça offices they think of the Catalan as an option independent of Nico, so whether the player from the Basque team arrives or not, the Catalans would remain in the operation for Olmo. Thus, at FCBN we analyse several possibilities that the Blaugrana team would have to reinforce its squad, either with a left winger or a central midfielder, the other key position that the club needs to reinforce in its XI.

Leroy Sané

The German is an absolute blockbuster for Barça, as he is a player who has been widely tested in the elite and who, like Nico Williams, is a natural left winger with great ability in one-on-one situations. He has a great shot from medium and long distance, and has not yet renewed his contract with Bayern Munich, which ends in 2025, so his exit price could be around 50 million euros, although clearly with a fairly high salary if he decides to leave Germany.

Joshua Kimmich

As we explained initially, Olmo remains an independent option, so the Catalan could take on the role of left winger and 'free up' Nico's money for the signing of a central midfielder, where the German Kimmich would once again be a priority. Like Sané, the midfielder only has one more year on his contract and could leave for 40 or 50 'millions', also offering the option of playing as a right-back if needed, and knowing Hansi Flick very well, a point that cannot be forgotten with either of the two options mentioned so far.

Martín Zubimendi

After his great display in the Euro 2024 final, coming on at half-time for Rodri, Zubimendi showed Barça that he is still a more than valid alternative for their midfield. Although his priority seems to be the Premier League, the Basque also knows that he would fit in very well at Barça, where he would have a big role, even if Flick maintains his idea of ​​playing with a double pivot, remembering that his starting price would be around 50 million euros.

Jadon Sancho

Within the entire list presented in this article, Sancho could surely be the biggest 'bargain' and bet. The Englishman has returned to Manchester United after speaking directly with Ten Hag, although he could still end up leaving. At Dortmund this year he showed that his talent is still intact, and although he is a very different winger to Nico Williams, for Barça he could be a great option for less than 40 million euros, remembering that he is only 24 years old and that he could even be an option to try to earn money in the medium term.

Luis Díaz

Unlike Sancho, the Colombian striker represents an absolute financial effort to get, surely having to exceed the 60 million euros that Nico would cost. In fact, Díaz lost options with the Spaniard, in large part, due to his higher price and because he turns 28 next January. However, the Colombian could be an immediate performance solution for around 70 million, especially considering that Liverpool seems to understand that they can let him go to reinforce other areas of their squad, such as midfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

His name may be a surprise to many, but the reality is that the Englishman has recognized himself as a Barça fan after being a Liverpool fan. He only has one more year of contract and Real Madrid are looking to sign him on a free transfer in a year, so Barça could deal a blow to their biggest rival.

Although he is not a natural left winger or central midfielder, Alexander-Arnold could be the attacking right back that Barça has been looking for for years, and in certain games and contexts he could also end up playing in midfield, as he did last season, so investing 40 or 50 million in him to have him this summer, and also taking him away from the Bernabéu does not seem like a completely surprising option.

Julián Álvarez

Finally, there is the name that could generate the most excitement if Nico Williams is not the big signing of the summer for Barça. The Argentine is a player that the club and its fans like a lot, and he is also the possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski if he ends up leaving in 2025. The striker wants to be the centre of attention, something that he can have at Barça, and although his price is close to 100 million euros, Manchester City has already made it clear in England that they could listen to offers for less than 80 million euros.

He is a player for whom Barça could make a greater effort than any other, taking into account that he can be a great 'improvised' left winger for this season and then take care of the goals for the next 5 years, at least. The Argentine wants to leave, and that could be the key, remembering that Pep Guardiola usually opens the door to players in these types of situations. Jack Grealish is also in a similar position, a left winger with a similar profile to Sancho.