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News
- 10 hours ago
Nico Williams faces transfer clause controversy after Barcelona ‘SURPRISE’
Robin Bairner
- 9 Jul 2025 06:00 CDT
- 5 min read
News
Nico Williams’ transfer to Barcelona continues to be a prolonged affair, with a new hurdle to be cleared before a deal can be completed.
Although the Athletic Club player has agreed to leave Bilbao to join Barca, the €58 million deal continues to be riddled with complications, the latest of which has been explained by Mundo Deportivo.
Current ETV
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
ETV Range
€63.5M - €77.7M
Previously, it was claimed Barcelona were taken by “complete surprise” by a request from the player’s agent over assurances that the player would be registered without a hitch.
The Catalan side have faced controversy in that regard in recent times, with their transfer for Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig last summer dogged by such controversy. The midfielder, though, was handed a clause that indicated he would be free to leave Barca if he were judged ineligible to play.
Nico Williams will not be given the same assurances over his transfer, the Barcelona-based source indicates.
The 22-year-old Spain winger is reported to have made this demand, and this is causing the talks to have ground to a standstill.
Neither Barcelona nor Nico appear to be willing to give ground over this clause, which Mundo Deportivo says has “surfaced in recent days”.
The Blaugrana are said to have taken this revelation particularly badly. It only emerged when the contracts were being drawn up and has caused “a feeling of displeasure”.
Nico still expects to join Barcelona this week
While this news might pique the interest of Bayern Munich, who have not given up on signing the winger, and perhaps even Arsenal and Chelsea, whose interest had cooled as it appeared a move to Barcelona was inevitable, the likelihood is that the deal will come to fruition.
Nico expects to be a Barca player by the weekend, but the Camp Nou side cannot guarantee this because they don’t believe he can be registered by that point. He is eager not to begin pre-season training with Athletic on 9 July, which he views as a potentially awkward situation to be put in.
Barcelona, though, will not give in to his demand of a clause that would allow him to walk away if he is not registered. The Camp Nou side see that as a reckless action and could put president Joan Laporta and his board under legal risk.
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