Nico Williams demands release clause in case Barcelona fail to register him

As the days pass, the potential signing of Nico Williams by Barcelona continues to unfold like a gripping drama, with each day bringing a new chapter. The latest development centres around the player's latest request, driven by concerns that Barcelona may struggle to register him for the upcoming season.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Athletic player and his representatives have asked the club to include a release clause in his agreement, allowing him to leave should the Blaugrana fail to secure his registration with La Liga.

Reportedly, this request was not initially raised during the initial contact and agreements between the parties, but has surfaced in recent discussions due to the player's and his representatives' growing anxieties. As it stands, Nico Williams appears unwavering in his demand for this guarantee.

Barcelona unwilling to risk a multi-million euro loss

However, the source mentioned above claims that the club has no intention of yielding to this demand, which could result in a significant loss of over 60 million euros in the worst-case scenario.

Consequently, they will not include it in the contract already drafted for the player. The club anticipates that this summer will not present the same registration challenges as last year, when Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor faced extremely difficult situations. This issue is causing friction and is currently the main stumbling block in the operation.

Nico Williams wants to sign for Barcelona and be registered before July 5th to avoid starting pre-season with Athletic, something Barcelona cannot currently guarantee (they can guarantee the signing, but not the registration) while waiting to finalise a move similar to the loan of Ansu Fati.

Meanwhile, positive messages continue to reach Nico Williams from within the club. Following Ferran Torres' words yesterday, Dani Olmo, who experienced a similar situation, offered an encouraging message on Wednesday, July 2nd.

"He is a top player. He is at another club and we respect that, but we want the best. I would tell Nico Williams that everything will be sorted out. It is normal to have doubts, but I had the utmost confidence in the club," he told the media, recalling his own experience a year ago.