Barcelona forward target rejected Real Madrid approach this summer – report | OneFootball

Nico Williams is once again at the centre of attention in the summer transfer window, with a move to FC Barcelona back on the agenda after the failed operation last year.

The 22-year-old Athletic Club winger has been attracting interest from clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich but appears to have his heart set on a move to Barça.

The Blaugrana, for their part, are also ready to make all efforts to sign the Spanish international in a bid to strengthen their attacking unit.

Real Madrid tried to meddle

Amidst all this, Catalunya Radio now reports that Real Madrid also held an interest in signing Nico Williams this summer.

Indeed, the Spanish capital giants were keen on the Athletic Club ace and were prepared to activate his €62 million release clause.

Williams only wants Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

However, as per the update, Williams rejected the approach from Los Blancos, making it clear that if he were to sign for any club in La Liga, it would only be Barcelona.

So, despite their readiness to trigger his release clause, Real Madrid were faced with disappointment in their bid to sign the UEFA Euro 2024 winner.

Nico Williams, for his part, has a great camaraderie with the Barcelona players, with Lamine Yamal in particular a very close friend of the Basque winger.

With both the player and the club seemingly interested in making the deal happen, it will now be a matter of Barcelona finding a way to push forward with the operation while keeping in mind their Financial Fair Play situation.