Athletic Club admit they cannot stop Nico Williams but vow to make Barcelona sweat | OneFootball

According to a fresh update from SPORT, Athletic Club are slowly coming to terms with the inevitable that their star forward Nico Williams is set to leave the club and join Barcelona.

However, despite this acceptance, the Bilbao-based side is determined not to make the process easy for the Catalans.

Unlike last summer, when Nico seemed unsure about a move, this time his stance has changed. The 22-year-old winger has now made it clear that he wants to play for Barcelona and has agreed to a six-year contract with the club.

His decision has left Athletic Club surprised and scrambling for a response. Initially, they did not take Barça’s approach seriously, but the consistent contact between the player’s camp and the Catalan side has confirmed that the deal is very much in motion.

Stubborn stand on the release clause

Athletic Club’s frustration is not just about losing their best player, it also stems from their already tense relationship with Barcelona.

Athletic Club will not make life easy for Barcelona. (Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images)

The lack of a public congratulation from Athletic president Jon Uriarte to Joan Laporta when Barça won the league title, and the reluctance surrounding the traditional guard of honour, are just some signs of the frostiness between both clubs.

That tension is now spilling over into the transfer saga.

Despite knowing they will lose Nico, Athletic are refusing to negotiate a lower price. The €62 million release clause remains untouched, and the club is adamant it must be paid in full.

Barcelona will make progress

Barcelona, on the other hand, are expected to take the lead and propose a payment structure in instalments, similar to the method they used to sign goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol.

However, just like Espanyol, Athletic Club may insist that the clause is paid outright through La Liga, effectively removing any chance of a friendly settlement.

Barcelona remain optimistic about completing the transfer soon, but with Athletic holding firm and tensions running high, it can be assumed that this saga still has a few twists left.