The 2025 summer transfer window is starting to heat up for FC Barcelona. Their new No. 1 goalkeeper, Joan Garcia (formerly of Espanyol) was officially announced earlier today. And now it appears that some progress is being made (finally!) on Nico Williams, a long-time top target.
Barca Universal, citing Journalist Adrian Sanchez, claim an agreement in principle, for the 22-year-old Spaniard, is on the verge of being reached.
🚨🔴 Excl | Barça y Nico Williams muy cerca de un principio de ACUERDO.
Los protagonistas de las negociaciones trabajan para cerrar los flecos de un contrato que apunta a ser LARGO y con un salario ASCENDENTE.
El Barça también mantiene contacto directo con la Liga para darle… pic.twitter.com/k23Cvq9OR2
— ᴀᴅʀɪᴀ́ɴ sᴀ́ɴᴄʜᴇᴢ (@_AdrianSnchz) June 18, 2025
Barcelona strongly pursued the Athletic Club winger last summer, but the Catalan club were unable to guarantee Nico Williams that he would be registered to play in La Liga, and thus, nothing ever came really came close to happening.
Meanwhile Barca President Joan Laporta, speaking at a club meeting, revealed that they are working on a “really exciting signing,” and that naturally invited speculation.
“We have brought in one player (that is obviously Garcia) and we’re working on another really exciting signing,” Laporta said earlier today.
That “exciting signing” is almost certainly a winger, as the club’s Sporting Director Deco told the media earlier this month it was a position that they are looking to strengthen.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford have been also linked, bit it doesn’t seem like either of those transfer narratives have any traction right now.
So by process of elimination…but it’s worth noting that this deal still has some financial hurdles to clear. The Nico Williams release clause is €58 million ($66.7 million).
Laporta, Deco and company are going to probably have to offload a player or two in order to balance the books for this one.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter