Barcelona to offer cash plus player deal to Athletic Club for Nico Williams in bid to avoid clause | OneFootball

Barcelona have made Nico Williams one of their two top targets for the left wing position this summer, alongside Liverpool’s Luis Diaz. They will face competition for Williams though, and his €58m release clause represents a significant obstacle for the Blaugrana.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are also in contention for Williams, although Arsenal are the only side that are actually willing to activate that release clause. For Barcelona, making such a large payment up front looks a difficult task, with uncertainty over their finances.

According to Sport, the Blaugrana have already had one offer for Williams turned down. Initially they offered €40m in two payments split equally, plus Basque defender Inigo Martinez. However Athletic turned down that offer, and the Catalans are now preparing a second proposal. That will consist of €55m, split into two payments of €30m and €25m, plus €10m in variables, and would also include Inigo Martinez. The total fee could rise to €65m.

Clearly Barcelona want to avoid paying the full clause in one go due to their salary limit struggles, and doing so in two payments would make the deal far more accessible for them. However Los Leones are famous for not negotiating for their players, and holding out for the clauses. It is of course possible – and is not uncommon – that Barcelona are negotiating terms before they have the money in place, so they have a deal ready to go if they can fund it.