Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, who has long been on Barcelona’s radar, would reportedly prefer a move to Real Madrid. The 21-year-year is set to become a free agent when his contract expires in June 2024.

Barcelona Have Made Moves To Sign Williams

According to a report from Spanish outlet SPORT, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in Williams’ services. The Blaugrana have reportedly identified him as a possible target for the 2024-25 summer transfer window, while Madrid president Florentino Perez believes Williams’ signing will fall in line with the club’s smart recruitment policy.

Having been on Williams’ tail for a while, the Blaugrana find themselves in a more advanced stage of the pursuit. As per the aforementioned report, they have been working on a suitable deal for the winger for months now. They have also made contact with the player’s entourage to try to understand his demands. There is no verbal agreement yet between Williams and Barcelona.

However, it is believed that Williams’ priority is not to join a new club but to continue his development at Athletic Bilbao. The two parties have held talks over a contract renewal but an agreement has not yet been reached. So, as things stand, Williams will be eligible to talk directly with prospective suitors since January 2024.

Real Madrid Confident In Williams Pursuit

While Los Blancos are yet to make a move for Williams, they believe that the player would pick them over the reigning Spanish champions. As per the report from SPORT, Williams would move to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium if Los Merengues manage to table an offer that fulfills his economic needs. Of course, with Premier League clubs and Borussia Dortmund also showing interest in Williams, neither Madrid nor Barcelona can afford to rest on their laurels.

Williams, who has represented Spain 10 times in international fixtures, joined Athletic Bilbao’s youth club in July 2013. He was deservedly promoted to the first team in July 2021 and has since been producing one top-tier performance after another. The gifted right winger has played 89 games for Athletic in all competitions so far, scoring 12 times and claiming 11 assists.

He has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2023-24 La Liga season, claiming four assists in as many games.