Barcelona’s sporting director Deco is reportedly in Ibiza to personally meet Nico Williams and move forward on a potential summer transfer.

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• Deco travels to Ibiza for direct talks with Nico’s agent
• The Spanish forward is currently vacationing on the island
• Athletic Club have set a release clause of €58 million

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to various reports in Spain, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has flown to Ibiza to meet with Williams, as the club looks to revive their long-standing interest in the Athletic Club winger. Williams is currently vacationing on the island, and Deco is expected to hold direct talks with the player to see how feasible a move might be this summer. Deco had a discreet sit-down with player's agent Felix Tainta in Barcelona early in June.

  While it’s still unclear whether the Deco will meet the 22-year-old forward, all signs point to a potential three-way sit-down involving Barca manager Hansi Flick, who owns a house in Formentera.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After winning Euro 2024 with Spain, Williams became hot property. Barcelona pursued him hard last summer, but Williams rejected the move in order to play European football. But after Barcelona's remarkable turnaround under Hansi Flick, the Spaniard is eager to reunite with his national teammate and friend, Lamine Yamal, and made his desire clear to him and other Culers within the Spain squad during the UEFA Nations League games.

  A few reports claimed that Real Madrid also made an approach, but Williams turned it down, making it clear that if he were to stay in La Liga, Barcelona would be his only choice. The winger has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Arsenal, but Barca currently appear to be Winger's first choice.

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  Despite

  Williams' clear desire to join Barcelona, completing the deal will be anything but straightforward. La Liga president Javier Tebas has already warned the club that they will face major financial hurdles ahead of the 2025-26 season. According to Tebas, Barcelona are still struggling to register new signing, goalkeeper Joan Garcia, and any pursuit of high-profile targets, including Williams, will require them to offload players and generate significant funds.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA AND NICO WILLIAMS?

  Barcelona are expected to intensify talks in the coming days as they weigh up their financial options ahead of making a formal move for Williams. Deco's Ibiza visit marks a clear step toward securing personal terms, but the biggest hurdle remains meeting the €58 million release clause set by Athletic Club.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News