Athletic Club working to convince Nico Williams to reject Barcelona again – report | OneFootball

Things are moving rapidly as far as FC Barcelona and their pursuit of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams is concerned.

The Blaugrana are understood to have already reached a six-year contract agreement with the 22-year-old winger until 2031.

As such, the La Liga champions are now working towards raising the funds to activate his release clause while laying down the groundwork for his registration.

Athletic Club want Nico to reject Barcelona again

However, according to MARCA, Athletic Club are now trying once again to convince Nico Williams to reject Barcelona. But this time, that looks far more complicated.

As per the report, the Spanish international has already said yes to Barça on three separate occasions, only to back out twice before.

And, the Basque club want him to do the same again – and not without incentive: a contract renewal that would make him the highest-paid player in the squad.

It is a delicate situation for Athletic, who remain hopeful that things go down again like last summer.

What happened last summer?

Last summer, during the Euros, Nico gave Barcelona the go-ahead to present a formal offer. While on holiday shortly after, he reaffirmed that decision.

Nico Williams wants to join Barcelona. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

However, all progress remained dependent on Barça’s severe difficulties with player registration. In the period between the end of the break and the start of pre-season, Nico reconsidered and chose to remain at Athletic.

That U-turn caused frustration at Barcelona, who thought the signing was all but sealed.

U-turn unlikely

This summer, Barça believed their pursuit of Nico was over, especially after talks from the previous year had gone cold. But this time, it was the player himself who reignited the flames.

The Blaugrana welcomed Nico’s renewed interest with enthusiasm and immediately set their transfer machinery in motion: preparing the payment of the release clause, outlining the player’s salary, and planning compliance with La Liga registration rules.

Barcelona are confident that there will be no major issues and believe support will be available if needed to close the deal.

Meanwhile, Athletic watches from a distance, having put forward a firm renewal offer — the most lucrative contract in the club’s history.

But with a verbal agreement over a contract also sealed, Nico seems fully committed to signing for the La Liga champions.