Barcelona have renewed their interest in Athletic Club winger Nico Williams after their attempts to acquire Liverpool’s Luis DÃaz have stalled, according to reports.
Hansi Flick’s intention to recruit a new wide forward this summer is well-known, and until now, the majority of the focus has been on DÃaz, who is believed to be eager to join Barcelona.
However, Liverpool does not share this sentiment, as they have set an asking price of approximately €80 million (£68.1 million, $92.5 million), which is deemed excessive by last season’s La Liga champions.
The emphasis on DÃaz followed club president Joan Laporta’s public declaration that Barcelona was not pursuing Williams this summer, but an inquiry from Bayern Munich led to a meeting between the Catalan club and Williams’s representative.
Williams is reported to have clearly expressed his desire to join Barcelona this summer, despite competing interest from Bayern, Arsenal, and Chelsea—The Athletic indicates that the latter two have now reduced their pursuit—and Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has been among those to disclose that the Blaugrana are once again actively seeking the Spain winger.
Fabrizio Romano further reports that Barcelona is preparing for new discussions with Athletic to ascertain the conditions of Williams’s release clause.
The report estimates this clause to be €58 million (£49.4 million, $67.1 million), although other sources have suggested it may be closer to €62 million (£52.8 million, $71.7 million).