Barcelona received a 'slap' from Bilbao

The Basque club have announced a contract extension with Nico Williams until the summer of 2025, ending speculation about the Spaniard's future.

Nico Williams stays in Bilbao.

Information about Nico was posted on Bilbao's official fanpage on the afternoon of June 4. "The winger born in 2002 will be with his beloved team for the next 10 seasons. At the same time, Nico's buyout clause will also increase by 50%," Bilbao's announcement said.

Accordingly, to own Nico at the present time, Barcelona or any other team will have to pay nearly 90 million euros, instead of 58 million euros as before.

Nico has been heavily linked with Barcelona over the past month, with president Joan Laporta confirming the club are willing to pay Williams' €58m release clause. However, the two parties have been unable to agree on personal terms.

The Euro 2024 champion is also worried about following in the footsteps of Dani Olmo. Olmo was not registered by Barcelona to play in La Liga in late 2024 due to financial constraints. Although things have since smoothed out, Williams believes he does not want to miss out on regular playing time to maintain his form.

Bayern are also said to want Nico's services. However, the 22-year-old player only prioritizes staying in Spain to develop his career. After extending his contract, Nico will join Bilbao in training from July 9, thereby officially "closing the book" on his future at San Mames.

As for Barca, the Camp Nou club could turn to another target, Marcus Rashford. The English striker is also willing to reduce his salary to move to Camp Nou. The price to own Rashford is half that of Nico (40 million euros).

Source: https://znews.vn/barcelona-nhan-cai-tat-tu-bilbao-post1566067.html