Barcelona are no more in the upcoming transfer market for Nico Williams. The Athletic Bilbao’s winger was high on their list last season and the club were desperately eyeing a move for him. However, after his poor season in the La Liga this current season, it is now believed that Barcelona have shifted their focus on other targets.
For the second straight summer, Nico Williams looked like a natural fit for FC Barcelona’s rebuild. The Athletic Club winger’s explosive pace and ball-carrying ability had placed him near the top of the Blaugrana’s shortlist a year ago. Back then, president Joan Laporta and the sports department openly explored a package that would pry the 22-year-old away from San Mamés.
Fast-forward 12 months and the landscape has shifted sharply. Williams’ 2024-25 La Liga season never caught fire: just 2 goals and 3 assists in 29 league appearances, a downturn from the flashes of end-product he showed the previous year. Scouts reported lingering decision-making issues in the final third, and Athletic’s steep valuation, north of €50 million, remained unchanged despite the dip in output.
In an interview with Catalan radio this week, Laporta admitted the club has moved on:
“We valued Nico as a potential signing last summer along with Dani Olmo, but right now we’re valuing other players—we’re going for other targets.”
Sources at the Ciutat Esportiva reveal that Barcelona’s recruitment team is prioritising a left-footed right-winger who can operate in half-spaces—profiles more in line with Girona’s Sávio or Porto’s Pepê—while maintaining financial flexibility for a top-level pivot midfielder.
