Details of Barcelona director Deco’s meeting with Nico Williams’ agent – report | OneFootball

Barely into mid-June, FC Barcelona already find themselves at the centre of one of the summer’s biggest transfer sagas.

Although some within the club were keen to avoid a repeat of last summer’s relentless speculation around Nico Williams, there is recognition that few opportunities arise to sign players of such calibre – especially ones so determined to join Barça.

Having failed to sign him last summer, the Blaugrana seemed to have moved on from the Athletic Club winger. But the player himself is desperate to move the happen and as such, prompted a meeting between his agent and Barcelona director Deco last week.

Details of the meeting

Now, SPORT has come forward with an extensive report detailing how the meeting came about and what was the feeling that the parties involved walked away with from it.

It was last Friday when Nico’s agent, Felix Tainta, held a 90-minute meeting with Deco at a Barcelona hotel.

As per the report, initial contact took place earlier that week, on Monday, when Tainta reached out to Deco to arrange a meeting and catch up. Due to Deco’s packed schedule – dominated by the finalisation of Joan Garcia’s signing – the agent had to wait a few days.

Once that deal was completed, the meeting was set for Friday afternoon in a private room at a Barcelona hotel to ensure confidentiality and avoid the very media attention that eventually followed.

Eager to join Barcelona. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

The tone of this year’s meeting was very different from the tense discussions held last summer. This time, there was openness and clarity from all parties, and the player’s desire to join Hansi Flick’s team was made clear.

Meeting well-received at Barcelona

The meeting was well received by club executives, many of whom were previously sceptical due to what happened the previous summer.

Unlike last year, when the player demanded registration guarantees and did not wait for Barcelona, Nico has now instructed his agent to prioritise Barça’s offer over all others – despite the club’s financial limitations.

Sources at the club acknowledge that, although they had repeatedly stated that the “Nico case” was closed, they appreciated the player’s bold step forward and his open expression of intent to join the club.

Adding fuel to the excitement, Lamine Yamal posted a photo with Nico Williams celebrating a goal just minutes after news of the meeting broke. Even club executives, including club president Joan Laporta (who was unaware of the meeting), were positively surprised by it.

Although Luis Diaz had long been Deco’s preferred option for the left wing, the meeting with Tainta has completely shifted the internal dynamics, with Nico now seen as the priority.

What remains now is the most difficult part – complying with the Financial Fair Play rules and securing the funds to pay the €62 million clause (including inflation adjustment).