Nico Williams arrival will see two Barcelona players used less often by Hansi Flick | OneFootball

Barcelona are hoping to sign Nico Williams before the start of the 2025-26 season, and there is a lot of confidence that he will arrive from Athletic Club. And if he does, it would have a knock-on effect for two of his future teammates.

Hansi Flick would welcome the signing of Williams, whom he sees as a fantastic option for the left wing. And according to MD, he would be the regular starter in that position, with the plan being for Raphinha to be start in a more central area.

Dani Olmo will be Barcelona’s preferred striker option

Lamine Yamal would continue on the right wing, and at striker, it is expected that Dani Olmo would act as a false nine. As such, this would mean that Robert Lewandowski sees less action, as per a further report from MD. And this makes sense considering that Barcelona are hoping to move on from him when his contract expires in the summer of 2026.

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Lewandowski scored 42 goals in 52 appearances last season, but there have been doubts about his performance levels outside of his goal output. And given that he will be 37 in August, he is expected to continue regressing, which is why Barcelona do not want to be a regular starter next season. It also means that his fitness levels can be managed better, although he has shown very few deficiencies in this regard over the last few years despite his age.

As well as Lewandowski, next season is also expected to see Fermin Lopez used less frequently. The 22-year-old, who has attracted significant transfer interest in recent weeks, would be behind Raphinha and Olmo in the central attacking midfield position, and behind Williams and Raphinha on the left wing, where he has also been used over the last 12-18 months.

Despite this, Flick will continue to value both players, and he wants both to remain in his squad for next season.