Barcelona Confirm Final Nico Williams Transfer Decision | OneFootball

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted the club are no longer considering a move for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams.

Williams was heavily linked with an exit from Athletic last summer, with his release clause of €58 million (£48.8 million, $65.2 million) attracting interest from the vast majority of Europe’s elite sides.

Still available for the same price, Williams reportedly remains on the radar of Premier League duo Arsenal and Chelsea, while Barcelona have also been tipped to reignite their pursuit of the highly rated 22-year-old.

Now, however, Laporta has firmly distanced the La Liga champions from a move for Williams.

“He was one of the candidates last summer, we were evaluating [Dani] Olmo and Nico,” Laporta told TV3. “We have a good profile of this player, who is an excellent player, but I think at this moment we are evaluating other options.”

Williams still has admirers in the Premier League. / IMAGO/Every Second Media

Bayern Munich have also been linked with Williams but it appears as if a switch to England could be on the cards for the Spain international if he decides to pursue a move away from his boyhood side this summer.

Williams flirted with an exit last year before ultimately deciding to remain with Athletic, and he is not yet believed to have made his mind up over a potential departure this time around.

While Williams‘s release clause makes him a tempting prospect, any suggestions of a bargain transfer are wide of the mark as the winger is believed to be demanding over £200,000 ($267,000) per week from prospective suitors.

The young winger already earns a similar wage at Athletic, whose unique business strategy sees them save on transfer fees and instead invest heavily in homegrown talents from the local area, and Williams is thought to be looking for an increase if he does leave.

A decision is expected to be made after Athletic’s final game of the season, coincidentally against Barcelona on Sunday.