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Barcelona have reportedly reopened talks to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Club. The Catalan side have been chasing him since last summer but had to look elsewhere.
As per a report in COPE, Williams' agent is at the Barcelona office holding talks with Deco. The sporting director admitted last summer that he was interested in bringing in the Spaniard, but the deal dragged on. He said via Barca Universal:
"He's a great player. We've seen his potential. Last season, there were two players who could have improved the team: Nico and Olmo. Moments come and go. Dani showed from the very beginning that he wanted to come. Nico didn't. It dragged on, and it couldn't be done."
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The Bilbao star has a €58 million release clause and remains a target for Arsenal too. However, the winger prefers to stay in Spain and the Catalan side are leading the chase.
Club president Joan Laporta also confirmed that they wanted the winger and were ready to pay the clause. He told Catalunya Radio via ESPN:
"Economically speaking, we could commit to the signing of Nico Williams. Nico's a player I like -- I like him a lot. We are working with [new coach Hansi] Flick on possible signings. Now we have to leave [sporting director] Deco to close the operations we are working on."
The winger was also linked with Chelsea, but the Blues are yet to make a move.
Nico Williams' agents reveal why he rejected Barcelona move
Barcelona were the leading club in the race to sign Nico Williams last summer but failed to get the player. The Bilbao star's agents spoke to Cadena SER and revealed that the winger felt at home in Bilbao and said:
"The boy has decided to stay for another year. We are here to work, support him in all his decisions and advise him. He wanted to stay. It is proof that when a player wants to stay at a club he stays and when he wants to leave he leaves."
"It is not the agent who puts a gun to his head and says 'go away, I want you to come where I want'. The player and the family have total absolute freedom. It is very easy to attack the agent, we are always the ones who take all the blows."
Nico Williams scored five goals each in LaLiga and UEFA Europa League last season. He finished the season with 15 goals and nine assists for club and country in all competitions last season.
