Athletic Club Questions Barcelona’s Ability to Sign
The Athletic Club has confirmed that it met with LaLiga to question Barcelona’s ability to sign players, amid the Catalan club’s interest in Nico Williams. Barça’s sporting director, Deco, stated that Williams, who has a release clause of 58 million euros, has shown a “strong desire” to join the LaLiga champion this summer. Meanwhile, Barça president Joan Laporta said he is confident that the club will be able to sign and register two new players, goalkeeper Joan García and Williams, as the club continues to battle against LaLiga’s financial rules.The meeting in Madrid was held in response to a request from Athletic regarding compliance with financial fair play rules. Among the topics discussed was Barcelona’s ability to sign players. Athletic has a legitimate interest in accessing relevant information about this, given that Barcelona’s football director, Deco, publicly acknowledged that they will try to sign a player from the first team, a player who has a contract until June 30, 2027. Seeking clarification on these matters helps ensure that the competition rules are followed correctly. Laporta was puzzled by Athletic’s complaints.“Athletic wants to thank LaLiga for its cooperation and clarity during a meeting between the two organizations, in which Javier Tebas and Jon Uriarte, respective presidents of each entity, were present,” said the Basque club in a statement.
Athletic Club
The dispute arises after several Spanish teams complained last January when Barça received permission from the Spanish Ministry of Sports to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, despite the league saying they didn’t have the fair play to do so. Williams, for his part, has communicated his desire to leave Athletic this summer, according to a source. The agent of the Spanish international, Félix Tainta, communicated this to the Bilbao club at the beginning of this week, although he did not specify which club his client wanted to go to. Barça first set their sights on Williams last summer, but the deal didn’t materialize as they couldn’t offer guarantees about his registration. Williams, 22, who plays alongside his brother Iñaki at San Mamés, has played 167 games for Athletic since his debut in the first team in 2021.“I don’t understand Athletic’s reaction. With all due respect, everyone should mind their own business. I don’t understand why they would go to LaLiga to talk about Barça, which has nothing to do with them, but each to their own. We have taken all the necessary measures to be able to sign normally. We will be able to sign and register the two players we want to sign”.
Joan Laporta
