Athletic's threat to dissuade FC Barcelona with Nico Williams

Published:20/08/2024 - 14:11h

Updated:20/08/2024 - 14:15h

FC Barcelona continues to expect to be able to complete the acquisition of Nico Williams in this 24/25 summer market. However, that seems to be a very complicated task, especially given how Athletic Club has been in charge of protecting the Pamplona native from any transfer threat

Today, FC Barcelona seems to see their chances of signing Nico Williams in this 2024/2025 summer transfer window increasingly distant. The talented 22-year-old left winger from Pamplona gives the impression of becoming more and more integrated into the dynamics of Athletic Club. Additionally, the Basque club has shown cunning by making several moves to retain their star, at least for this season.

At this point, it is important to make it clear that the 'lions' have not only chosen the nostalgic route to keep the younger of the Williams brothers by actions like giving him the number 10 shirt and making him the center of various campaigns, among other measures. In this case, those at San Mamés are also considering resorting to legal means to protect the Navarrese forward from the interest of the Catalan club.

The legal action that Athletic intends to take if Barça pursues the signing of Nico Williams

Under this premise, as suggested by the newspaper 'El Correo', the president of Athletic Club, Jon Uriarte, would have directly spoken with Javier Tebas, the head of LaLiga, to warn him that if Barcelona triggered the winger's release clause, they would take legal action. They argued that the Barcelona side could not afford this operation, as it would violate the league's financial controls.

The same source also mentions that the Basque squad had analyzed the accounts of the Blaugrana team and considered it almost impossible for them to successfully carry out this transaction. They were certain that the numbers wouldn't add up, so they were ready to challenge the signing if the release clause (62 million euros) was paid, deeming that Barça was breaking the salary cap regulations.

With this in mind, it is not surprising that Athletic Club remained calm despite FC Barcelona's serious interest in acquiring Nico. They practically did not hesitate at any moment about the continuity of the 'spicy' winger in Bilbao. Additionally, according to 'El Correo', they are willing to offer him an improved contract if he decides to stay, provided he agrees to increase his current release clause of 62 million euros. These negotiations would start once the transfer market closes, with the reassurance that the season will already be underway.