Hansi Flick is about to take charge of Barcelona after Xavi and as per Football Transfers, the new manager is prioritising the signing of Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao.
The Gunners have been tracking Williams for some time and it was said that Xavi is a big fan of the youngster. Now, it seems like Hansi Flick shares the same feeling which is why Barcelona are going to challenge Arsenal.
The 21-year-old has a €50 million release clause in his contract which Arsenal are willing to pay and now, the Catalans will also look to trigger the release clause. Nico Williams is ready to move out of Bilbao but his wage demands are something that is going to put Barca on the backfoot.
Because of Athletic Bilbao’s unique player policy, they can afford to pay premium wages to their players which is why Nico Williams is already earning around €200,000 per week and since he wants an upgrade, the Catalans will have to be ready to pay around €300,000 to 350,000 per week.
Should Barcelona give up pursuit of Nico Williams?
Paying €300,000 to 350,000 per week won’t be a problem for Arsenal who have narrowly missed out on the Premier League title this season but Barcelona will surely struggle to pay such wages to a 21-year-old.
Only if they can offload high earners like De Jong and Lewandowski can they afford to add Nico Williams to their wage bills next season.
Joao Felix wants to remain at Barcelona but in case he heads back then Hansi Flick will have to bring in a new right-winger and Nico Williams be the ideal signing.
However, their financial struggles have pushed them down the pecking order and if Arsenal are willing to meet Williams’ wage demands then a move to the Premier League looks much more likely.
The winger has been sensational this season scoring 8 and assisting 17 goals in 37 appearances and at €50 million, Nico Williams can actually turn out to be a bargain signing. If Felix remains at Camp Nou then Flick might give up his interest in the Bilbao winger but if the Portuguese international returns back to his parent club then there’s no way the new manager will just be able to rely on Ferran Torres for the whole of next season.
