Barcelona Are Facing Tough Competition For This La Liga Winger: Good Fit For Flick? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Sport mentioned that Barcelona are facing tough competition for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. It has been stated that the Catalan club would have to rival Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to land the Spanish talent this summer.

Williams had a great campaign at the Spanish club as he put in a string of impressive displays for them in the final third. The 21-year-old registered eight goals and picked up 17 assists in 37 matches for his current employers last season across all fronts.

The Spanish sensation has caught the eye at times on the left flank and deserves credit for averaging 1.8 shots, 1.5 key passes and 2.8 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been careful when distributing possession in the opposition half based on his pass completion rate of 79.2% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the Spanish club will expire in the summer of 2027. Thus, Barcelona might struggle to fund a move for him in this transfer window.

Spain’s midfielder #17 Nico Williams reacts during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group B football match between Spain and Croatia at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP)

Is Williams A Good Fit For Barcelona?

Williams is a decent dribbler with the ball and can make a few dangerous runs with the ball in the opposition half. He has got the eye to play some decisive passes on the offensive end of the field and can strike the ball with venom from long range.

The Spain international did well to add a lot of goals and assists to his game last season. He already knows La Liga well by now and won’t take much time to settle into life at the Nou Camp if Barcelona can devise a way to get him on board later this year. Williams mainly operates as a left-winger but can also fill in as a right-sided wide player if asked to do so by his manager.

We can expect him to bring more quality to Barca boss Hansi Flick’s frontline. He has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot at the Catalan club in the coming seasons. At 21, the Spanish youngster has the potential to be a generational talent. Hence, Williams would be a great fit for Barca’s needs in the long run.