Nico Williams to Join Barcelona on €62 Million Clause Until 2031 Amid Athletic Resistance and LaLiga Financial Monitoring

Nico Williams, the Athletic Club winger, has formally communicated his desire to transfer to FC Barcelona. The Catalan club and Williams have reportedly reached a personal agreement extending until June 2031, with Barcelona prepared to pay the full release clause of €62 million (including €4 million indexed to inflation) demanded by Athletic Bilbao. However, Athletic has expressed strong resistance to installment payments and insists on full payment upfront. The Basque club has also raised concerns with LaLiga about Barcelona's financial fair play compliance, seeking to monitor the transaction closely and ensure that Barcelona adheres to the 1:1 financial rule.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated the club is ready to fulfill the financial obligations and welcomes scrutiny of their accounts. LaLiga president Javier Tebas emphasized that Barcelona must strictly comply with financial regulations to register new players, including Williams. Despite the agreement, the transfer process has encountered delays due to Williams and his agent demanding guarantees for player registration, reflecting apprehensions from previous cases at Barcelona. Athletic has denied any direct agreement with Williams and remains firm in its stance, while Barcelona continues to pressure the player's agent to finalize the deal. The transfer is expected to be completed in early July, although tensions between Athletic and Barcelona persist amid ongoing negotiations and regulatory scrutiny.