Barcelona, Bayern and Arsenal battle for Nico Williams but Barca move makes perfect sense

The Nico Williams transfer saga is getting hot, and I mean really hot. Reports say several big clubs are lining up to pay his release clause, which is €62M apparently in his Athletic Bilbao contract. But here's the thing — this summer feels different from last year's drama.

German giants Bayern have held few meetings with Williams's team. Premier League club Arsenal, who are desperately looking for a left winger, are also interested along with Barcelona. But here's where it gets interesting — for Bayern and Arsenal, the wage demands from the player are a major stumbling block.

But according to the latest reports from Fabrizio Romano and several Spanish outlets, Williams is waiting for Barcelona's decision. The lad wants to play for the Catalan club, and that changes everything.

Barcelona's dilemma

Barcelona's Sporting Director Deco's primary attacking target is reportedly Luis Díaz, but Liverpool's €80m valuation is a little too much for the already financially struggling club. They're also considering Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, and PSV's 36-year-old Perišić is available too. Perišić will come as a free agent, but PSV are trying to keep the veteran Croat, who had a major impact in their Eredivisie-winning campaign.

The game-changer: Williams makes the first move

Over the past few days, Barcelona have rekindled their interest in Williams. The initiation started from Williams. Reports say his agent met with Deco to raise his client's interest. That's huge, considering he's the same player who refused a move to Barcelona last summer!

Why this just makes sense

For Williams and Barca, the signing makes a lot of sense. The 22-year-old knows the league; he already has enough chemistry with the Spanish players in Barcelona, and here's the crucial part — he's Lamine Yamal's best friend. Imagine Yamal and Williams bamboozling opposition full-backs for Barcelona just like they have done for Spain in the Euros. That partnership alone could be worth the transfer fee.

But what about Raphinha?

What will happen to Raphinha when Williams arrives? Look, Raphinha had his best season under Hansi Flick in the just-finished season. He produced 59 goal contributions and is one of the Ballon d'Or contenders. The guy was absolutely on fire.

But here's the reality — for any team with ambition to win multiple trophies, squad depth is absolutely necessary. Barca currently have only two natural wingers, so adding another one will make them even stronger. Look at PSG — they've got options everywhere.

Last season, Barcelona were lucky with injuries, so they need depth in attack. Ideally, they should be signing another striker as well since Lewa is a veteran, even though he smashed it last season. Raphinha is someone who can play anywhere in the frontline, and Williams's arrival will allow Flick to rotate as well. 

Adaptation

If Williams moves abroad, he will have to adapt. For Barca, if they sign players from abroad, they too will have to adapt. Williams is perfect in this scenario — no adaptation period needed. But what about his numbers? He hasn't had a great season at Athletic Bilbao, but he has already proved that he can smash it when he plays alongside better players in the Spanish shirt. Also, what were Raphinha's numbers before Flick's arrival? Context matters, and this signing makes a lot of sense for both Barca and Williams.

The money question

Do Barcelona have money to spend on Williams? Athletic will demand the release clause to be paid in one chunk. Barca President Laporta earlier hinted that the chances of signing Williams were slim. But football has a funny way of making things happen when a player really wants to move.

— From code to kick-off: Gulf News’ Mohammed Shamsheer spends his weekdays in DevOps and weekends watching football — a proud Chelsea supporter through and through.