Transfer Centre

Barcelona 'contact agent of Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 14 September 2023

Barcelona contact the agent of Nico Williams to officially register their interest in signing the Athletic Bilbao attacker, according to a report.

Barcelona have reportedly been in contact with the agent of Nico Williams to officially register their interest in signing the Athletic Bilbao and Spain attacker next year.

Williams, who is the younger brother of Athletic forward Inaki Williams, has been with the Lions since 2013, progressing through the various age groups before making his first-team debut in 2021.

The 21-year-old has represented Ernesto Valverde's side on 89 occasions in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and registering 11 assists in the process.

This season, Williams has provided four assists in four La Liga appearances, while he scored and registered an assist in Spain's 7-1 win over Georgia in their Euro 2024 qualifier last week.

Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams in action with Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo de Paul on February 19, 2023 © Reuters

The attacker has a €50m (£42.9m) release clause in a contract that is due to expire next summer, meaning that there is currently a host of speculation surrounding his future, with teams from the Premier League believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation.

At the end of last month, Williams said that "everything is going very well" when asked about the possibility of penning a new contract with his Basque club.

"Everything has a process and everything is going very well," he told Relevo.

"I have things clear, I have always had them. They are things that my representative takes care of, but everything has a process. Things are going well, people are calm.

Nico Williams in action for Athletic Bilbao in August 2021 © Reuters

"I want to send a message of calm, that the people can be calm knowing that everything is going very well."

However, according to Sport, Barcelona have contacted Williams's agent to register their interest in his signature next year.

The report claims that the Catalan outfit have made it clear that the Spaniard is one of their main targets for 2024, when he could potentially be available on a free transfer.

Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Liverpool are among the Premier League clubs previously credited with an interest in the versatile attacker.