Barcelona has taken a big step towards the transfer of Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao star and the new European champion with Spain at Euro 2024.
According to recent reports, the Catalan club has reached a personal agreement with the 21-year-old footballer, who is expected to sign a six-year contract, with an annual salary of between 7 and 8 million euros.
Now, all that remains to be resolved is the formal aspect: activating the €58 million release clause, which keeps him tied to Athletic Bilbao until 2027.
In an unexpected and humorous twist, Zenit St. Petersburg "came to the aid" of Barcelona through a symbolic action on TikTok, donating money to help the Catalan club pay the clause.
In the message published on social networks, Zenit wrote: "You gave us Malcom, now it's our turn to help you!".
This gesture was a reference to Malcom's transfer from Barça to Zenit in the summer of 2019, where the Brazilian spent four successful seasons, scoring 42 goals in 109 appearances.
The transfer of Nico Williams is seen as a key reinforcement for Joan Laporta's Barcelona, who are looking to build a strong squad for coach Hansi Flick.
With his breakout performance at Euro 2024 and the flexibility to play in several offensive positions, Williams has been hailed as one of the most promising talents in Europe.
Negotiations with Athletic are now expected to be finalized in the coming days, the release clause remaining the quickest way to formalize the transfer. /Telegraph/
