Barcelona set new deadline for Nico Williams transfer

Barcelona want clarity over the future of Nico Williams before they face his current side Athletic Club on 24 August, a report has claimed.

Williams has been linked with Barca for months on end and their interest in the winger intensified following a string of top-class performances at Euro 2024 with Spain.

90min revealed in July that Barcelona's initial plan had been to wrap up the signing of Williams before pushing ahead with a move for Olmo. However, negotiations regarding the Athletic forward failed to advance and they ended up proceeding with a deal to sign Olmo from RB Leipzig instead.

Barcelona are still interested in Williams despite never making headway in talks over a transfer. But Mundo Deportivo report the club have set themselves a two-week deadline in order to bring him to Catalonia.

If Williams is still an Athletic player by the time they visit Montjuic on 24 August, then Barcelona will not make any further attempts to sign him this window.

Should Barca be without a new winger after that fixture, they will then begin to pursue alternative targets before the 30 August transfer deadline.

Though Barcelona have come into financial trouble in recent years, the club believe they are in a strong enough position to activate Williams' €60m release clause. The winger is already aware of the wages on offer at Barca but has not intimated whether he would accept their proposal.

Club president Joan Laporta's hope is to add Williams to a frontline containing Euro 2024 co-star Lamine Yamal in order to challenge Real Madrid for La Liga. Their rivals from the Spanish capital have strengthened themselves with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer, while Endrick has also made his long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

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