Barcelona have several fronts open, but the priority is to sign a new attacking player, specifically a left winger. Although there is a favorite, Nico Williams, other candidates have not been ruled out, and the club is also working on other deals with an eye to the future. Hansi Flick made it very clear in his last press conference of the season that the club needs to sign a new player. “In recent games, perhaps we haven’t had many options for these positions. Looking at players is Deco’s job, but I will help him,“ he said.
Deco himself also spoke on the subject, leaving the door open to bringing in competition for the current wingers who are playing all the minutes. ”Suddenly we feel very dependent on Raphinha and Lamine. Maybe we need similar players, a solution for them. The squad is quite balanced and we also have a lot of good things at the base,” he said.
Nico Williams getting closer
Nico Williams, through his agent, made it clear to Barcelona that he is convinced he wants to wear the Barça shirt. This declaration of intent prompted Deco to travel to Ibiza to talk to the player about his signing, which seems to be getting closer. According to Fabrizio Romano, and confirmed by various media outlets in Barcelona, the club and the player have reached an agreement for him to join this summer.
He will sign until 2031 after the payment of a clause worth €58 million, which with taxes rises to €64 million. According to the Italian journalist, Nico’s salary will be around €7-8 million net. The player’s final decision was based on several factors.
Firstly, the interest and intention shown by the player after last summer’s rejection. His conviction convinced Laporta, who is also aware of the player’s good relationship with several members of the current squad, which would be a plus in the adaptation of a player who knows LaLiga well. Another point is the exorbitant price of Luis Díaz, who until recently was the favorite. Liverpool set the Colombian’s asking price at 80 million, an amount that is unaffordable for Barça.
The right wing is also being looked at
The search for reinforcements for the attack may not end with Nico Williams, and the club could decide to sign a player for the opposite wing, betting on a gem of the market who has many suitors and whom Barça may want to sign.
Alejandro Echevarría, Deco, sporting director, and Bojan, Barça’s sporting director coordinator, had lunch on Thursday at the historic Triton restaurant in Pedralbes with the agent of Roony Bardghji, an 18-year-old Swedish footballer, according to Culemanía.
Bardghji could be the catalyst for Lamine Yamal. He is a player who began to stand out at a very young age in the youth ranks of Malmö FF before signing for FC Copenhagen, where he made his first-team debut at just 16 years old. Gianluigi Longari has pointed out that Barcelona wants to make a move in light of interest from teams such as Porto, which made an offer for him two weeks ago.
The aforementioned source indicates that this would be a separate deal from that of Nico Williams. In addition to interest from FC Barcelona and the Portuguese side, Mallorca are also interested. The striker’s contract with the Danish side expires in December 2025. Furthermore, according to Transfermarkt, he has a market value of around €7.5 million.