Barcelona are finally getting closer to signing Nico Williams from Athletic Club, a move that has been in the making for quite some time.
The turning point came last weekend when Barça sporting director Deco met with the player’s agent. That meeting helped push things forward, and now, the club is more confident than ever.
Barcelona had already tried to bring Nico last summer. Back then, they were ready to pay his release clause, and the board was sure that he would say yes. But things did not go as planned.
Nico’s older brother, Inaki Williams, along with other family members, advised him to stay in Bilbao. They were keen for him to play in the Europa League, especially since the final is set to be held at San Mames.
At the same time, Barcelona were struggling to register new players because of their financial limitations. These two factors ended up killing the deal. Even though the move did not happen last year, Barça didn’t give up.
This is not the first time they have had to wait to sign a player they really wanted. In fact, there have been similar cases in the past where a transfer failed at first, only to be completed the following season.
When patience paid off with Thierry Henry
One of the most famous examples is Thierry Henry. Back in 2006, the French striker was ready to leave Arsenal and join Barcelona. Everything had been agreed, and Henry was set to play under Frank Rijkaard.
But just before he could make the move, Arsenal faced Barça in the Champions League final. Barcelona won the game 2-1.
Days later, Henry called the club to say he had changed his mind. Influenced by Arsene Wenger and driven by loyalty to Arsenal fans, he chose to stay and even signed a contract extension.
However, things did not go well for him. Arsenal had a poor season, finishing fourth in the league, and Henry missed a large part of it due to injury. That is when he decided to make a U-turn.
His agent got in touch with Ferran Soriano, then Barcelona’s economic vice-president, to see if the club was still interested. They were, and by the end of the 2006-2007 season, Henry had signed for Barça for €24 million.
The Griezmann case
Another similar case is Antoine Griezmann. In 2018, Barça were ready to pay his release clause and had already spoken with him. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were even happy to welcome him as Neymar’s replacement.
Everything looked set until Griezmann publicly turned down the offer through a documentary called ‘The Decision’. The film shocked fans and hurt the club, especially president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Despite this, just a year later, Griezmann came back into the picture. This time, Bartomeu went ahead with the deal, even though many fans and Messi weren’t fully on board.
Barça paid €120 million to activate his release clause, and in July 2019, Griezmann officially signed a contract until 2024.
Nico could be the next big arrival
Now, just like with Henry and Griezmann, Nico may finally be about to wear the famous Barcelona shirt.
The club has shown patience, waited for the right time, and if all goes well, Nico will soon become the latest addition to Hansi Flick’s new-look squad.
All signs point to the deal going through, and Barcelona fans will hope that the wait proves to be worth it, just like it did before.
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