Barcelona are closing in on the signing of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams after the player agreed terms on a six-year contract. The 22-year-old Spain international is expected to link up with his close friend and national teammate Lamine Yamal at the Nou Camp.
Williams, who played a key role in Bilbao’s impressive season—helping them qualify for the Champions League and reach the Europa League semi-finals—reportedly expressed a strong desire to join the Catalan giants.
While other top European clubs, including Arsenal and Bayern Munich, have shown interest in the winger, Barcelona have taken the lead by indicating their readiness to trigger the €62 million (£53 million) release clause in his contract.
The club had previously explored a move for Liverpool’s Luis Díaz but were deterred by the high valuation. Focus then shifted fully to Williams, who had the most prolific season of his career, scoring 11 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.
Though the agreement is in place, Barcelona continue to face financial limitations under La Liga’s 1:1 rule, which restricts spending to match actual revenue. With stadium renovations and ongoing debt, questions remain over how the club will fund their transfer plans while staying within the league’s financial guidelines.
Club officials maintain they will remain compliant, but the final steps of completing Williams’ transfer could depend on balancing those financial constraints.
